By Kimberly Smith
Copyright 2006 U.S. Coast Guard
Copyright 2006 Gale Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
As is always the case in the Coast Guard, flexibility was the wordof the day for rescue crews in Mobile, Ala.
When a four-man crew left together to do their part in the rescue efforts in New Orleans, they soon began operating with whatever and whenever necessary.
Cmdr. Dan Taylor wrote Sept. 1, “Last night I flew with a mechanicfrom Aviation Training Center Mobile. Our mech flew with an ATC Mobile crew. He is bunking with our swimmer who returned about 6 a.m. this morning. The mech saved 10 and delivered lots of water and MREs throughout the area.
“The enormity of the disaster is beyond words. The Coast Guard response is equally amazing. The Atlantic City crew and aircraft is justone small piece of an extraordinary relief operation. When we were refueling once at Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, we stopped and counted 21 Coast Guard, DOD and EMS helicopters on the ramp being turned around to go back in to save more.”
During Taylor’s afternoon rescue flight, he and his crew picked upa nine-month-pregnant woman from the Superdome who went into labor in the helicopter. Once they landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, the woman safely delivered her baby after being carried from the helicopter by stretcher. They also hoisted another pregnant woman from an apartment building and four people with their two pit bulls.
In all, Taylor’s crew saved 24 people and delivered 500 pounds of water and MREs during Sept. 2 rescue operations.