ABC 6 NEWS — The Minnesota Civil Air Patrol was at Whitewater State Park, near St. Charles, on Saturday, May 18 to conduct search and rescue training.

Officials say the training is critical for helping young cadets know what to do in the case of an emergency, such as a plane crash.

“Typically Civil Air Patrol would be called for a missing person or also missing airplanes,” Captain Anthony Knauer said.

The cadet’s training included learning how to work with a search and rescue K-9, as well as hiking through the bluffs of Whitewater to find some airplane wreckage and survivors.

“We’re very grateful to be able to do this here in Whitewater. It gives us a different landscape with the bluffs so we can train as if we were doing search and rescue missions in bluffs,” Cadet Commander Benjamin Olson said.

Lieutenant Colonel Wiskow of the Civil Air Patrol said that the national group was formed in 1947, just days before the founding of the Air Force. And for Minnesota, their wing patch has a special designer.

“One thing that’s unique about our particular group is our wing patch that we wear on our left shoulder was designed by Walt Disney himself,” Lt. Col. Wiskow said.

The Saturday training was just one day in a three day training exercise to help prepare the Minnesota Civil Air Patrol for the next time an emergency happens.