See this previous entry for more information about this great rescue team called Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue, which was asked by the Governor of Lousisiana to come and help them, to which they replied by getting on planes with all their equipment within THREE HOURS and were there about the same time as Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin’s curt little condolences sent by email.
Canadian navy ships loaded with various much-needed supplies are expected to arrive some time. The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Sir William Alexander will sail along with the Canadian Navy vessels, HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Ville De Quebec and HMCS Toronto. I understand they will leave tomorrow from Halifax. I imagine the trip takes days. Too bad they didn’t send them immediately. It’s especially troubling that they didn’t, since Canada “leads the world” on these kinds of missions, according to our Liberal Prime Minister.
But on a positive note, here are some abbreviated entries from the journal being kept at the Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue web site:
September 3: St. John Parish, LA (8 pm PDT)
We conducted operations in St. Bernard Parish today. We had to transit through New Orleans where the devastation was quite stunning to say the least. The devastation was unbelievable. We came in from a different direction than we went in the first day to St. Bernard Parish. We got in by rowboat, but we had to drive through standing water first for quite a few miles in vehicles. But we ended up getting there and set up operations. We were successful in extricating 73 people out of the area that were still trapped. Unfortunately, one lady died when we got her back to the camp. Her body temperature had risen to the point where the dehydration was so that she died from exposure. But the team performed well. We were working out of air boats and other boats. It’s hard to describe in words the amount of destruction there. […]– Tim Armstrong, Team Leader Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue Team
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September 3: St. John Parish, LA (11:45 am PDT)
Every USAR member is safe and giving their all. We’re tired but committed to the current mission. We have set up a command post under the unified command structure which will remain here until our objectives are concluded for the area. Our objective today and for the next few will be to systematically perform search and rescue operations zone by zone in the St. Bernard Parish region. It is very hot. There is no power, no water, and no sewage systems operating. Our rescue teams must travel by the road system, wading through knee-deep water searching each structure.Communications continue to be near non-existent with the satellite phones working very sporadically. We have rescued approximately 30 citizens at this point, and we’re providing medical triage as they’re brought into base camp. On a lighter note, a private rescue company based out of Louisiana has been providing some logistical support including a U-Haul trailer with an advertisement on the side that reads “Visit Beautiful Vancouver British Columbia”
– Tim Armstrong, Team Leader Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue Team
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September 2: St. John Parish, LA ( 9 pm PDT)
We finished up our day quite late at about 9 pm Louisiana time (7 pm PDT). Basically, we made our way to St. Bernard Parish and we started search and rescue operations and recon (reconnaissance). I did a recon in a drug enforcement agency helicopter that was kind enough to give us an aerial recon of the area which was totally devastated. It was the hardest hit area by the hurricane by far.I was actually hugged by the president of the Parish, who is similar to the mayor, when we arrived. We were the first relief effort that made their way there. Probably 95 per cent of their town is virtually under water or destroyed. They figure about 30 per cent of the population is still missing. Tomorrow, we’d quite like to get in there. We have to go by boat. A lot of the waterfront was on fire. We passed by in front of New Orleans and in the French Quarter there was a lot of damage around that area that’s visible. […]
– Tim Armstrong, Team Leader Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue Team
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