Cajun Navy + Coast Guard
The Cajun Navy are informal ad hoc volunteer groups comprising private boat owners who assist in search and rescue efforts in the United States as well as offer disaster relief assistance. They are credited with rescuing thousands of citizens during those disasters. The group draws its name from the region’s Cajun people a significant number of whom are private boat owners and skilled boat pilots. Their boats consist of a number of types, but are typically small vessels such as bass boats, air boats, and other small, shallow-draft craft easily transported to flooded areas. During recent flooding in Louisiana 3 young men were part of the Cajun Navy. They climbed in a boat and started patrolling the overflowing streets of Baton Rouge. They came upon a woman who had driven into a street that was now a flowing river. The woman’s convertible was about two-thirds submerged and she can be heard asking for help. “Oh my God, I’m drowning,” the woman is saying from inside the car. The car keeps sinking and one of the men jumps out of the boat onto the car and starts to tear through the convertible’s fabric roof.
The primary rescuer, identified as David Phung, jumps into the murky water and pulls the woman out from the car’s sunroof as the vehicle completely submerges. Immediately she tells the man who saved her to get her dog, which was also in the car. He reaches inside and tries to find the dog but can’t find it. Phung does back in the water and emerges with the panicked pet. “I got the dog, I got the dog,” he shouts. His partners in the boat throw in some life preservers as David, the woman and the dog paddled and walked to safety higher ground.
A Coast Guard officer has been hailed as a hero after rescuing 165 people from the Texas Hill Country floods (video below). Petty Officer/ rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan, a native of New Jersey, was on the scene when the Guadalupe River rose dramatically, causing flooding after 5–11 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time. It was his first rescue mission, but he must have remained calm and reactive as he responded to search and rescue calls at Camp Mystic, a girl’s summer camp right in the path of the flooding. Despite not knowing what was going on around him. He remained focused and led 165 people, mostly children, in groups of 10 to 15 to army helicopters which could airlift them to higher ground. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called him “an American hero.” This was Scott’s first rescue out of his official training.
Wanna ride in my boat?
My husband told me I could choose the name he’d paint on the back of his new boat with the condition it be nautical themed. So I named it…
“For Sail.”
What’s the difference between a zoo in Louisiana and a zoo anywhere else?
In Louisiana, next to the plaque with the animal’s name, they’ve got a good recipe.
Did you hear the local concrete plant was flooded last week?
They’re having a hard time moving inventory now.
Reports of terrible flooding in Tehran,
Authorities fear it was the work of a suicide plumber.
July 29th Birthdays
1992 – Paulina Goto, 1966 – Martina McBride, 1963 – Alexandra Paul, 1983 – Ashley McBryde
1953 – Ken Burns, 1975 – Josh Radnor, 1973 – Wil Wheaton, 1981 – Troy Perkins