South Florida organizations are working to get critical search-and-rescue equipment to Colombia in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, packing everything from flashlights and gloves to ropes and first-aid kits.

Local Efforts to Help Colombia

The Help Land Foundation and Fundación 7 Estrellas are among the groups collecting and preparing supplies they say are urgently needed by crews searching through rubble in areas including Cali and Pereira.

Volunteers filled backpacks with emergency supplies at an Opa-locka airplane hangar. The supplies are being carefully sorted and weighed before being loaded onto a private jet donated by a Colombian medical doctor.

The plane has a limited capacity of about 3,000 pounds, meaning organizers have to carefully determine what can be loaded for each trip. The groups say timing is critical, and getting specialized equipment to search-and-rescue crews quickly could improve the chances of finding and rescuing survivors.

Another aid drive is underway in Doral, where organizers are also collecting rescue equipment for Colombia. Volunteers are needed, including people who can help with the heavy lifting.

So far, the organizations say they have been able to send about five tons of aid to Colombia. However, getting more supplies there will require money. Organizers estimate they need as much as $16,000 to cover the flight-related expenses.

Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.