Coast Guard: Not enough helicopters for search and rescue.

[Skwmom]

Did anyone catch the Coast Guard guy who was on CNN (or MSNBC) last night talking about hundreds of people (I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be thousands) they could not rescue because they only had a limited number of helicopters. They showed footage of one rescue where the guy only had a small amount of air left in the attic.

Why can't they send more helicopters and rescue teams to New Orleans?

Edit: The idiot mayor is on CNN now making one excuse after another. He's being asked why they aren't transporting people out of the superdome. The idiot said they have priorities and they've had their hands filled with among other things looting. Putting the safeguarding of material junk ahead of taking care of people is unbelievable!

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. They're all in Iraq

Bringing democracy to a country that doesn't want it.

[ecoflame]

2. Are you sure?

Are you the Coast Guard is in Iraq?

[wakeme2008]

4. see #3 nt

[Spinzonner]

5. It is, but guarding the Arabian Sea ports

I doubt many of their helicopters are there.

They would have to fly them from other bases. Which would take time and much wear and tear on the copters. Not to mention having support locally for maintenance.

It's not intended for long overland flights like planes.

Perhaps they should have some drones dispatched to hover and locate people and then obtain the location information (GPS) to direct the copters so they dont have to spend time searching for people.

[wakeme2008]

3. Do not know the number but

Lt. Greg Fuller, left, Lt. Olav Saboe, Petty Officer Dave Blowers, Petty Officer Drew Dazzo, Petty Officer Harold Toledo, Lt. Cmdr. Tim Schang, Chief Petty Officer Russ Hoover and Petty Officer Mischa Gorsh pose before their HH-65 Dolphin helicopter while on deployment in the Persian Gulf.

he Coast Guard crewmembers of an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Barbers Point say they were touched by the cards and letters of support and pictures sent by Iliahi Elementary School in Wahiawa while they patrolled the Persian Gulf.

"We ended up passing them around the ship," said Lt. Olav Saboe, 29, who recently returned from a 5 1/2 month deployment as a pilot of the twin-engine Dolphin that was assigned to the Coast Guard cutter Boutwell, which is from Alameida, Calif.



..more http://starbulletin.com/2003/07/13/news/story6.html

[riverwalker]

8. protecting oil rigs

"We also supported the protection of two of the world's largest oil rigs, which are located 15 miles off the coast of Iraq near its border with Iran," he said." :grr: :grr:


Those orange helicopters are the ones rescuing people now, at least the ones not in service to Halliburton.

[MSgt213]

6. There was no plan beyond rescue of people. That's all we seem capable of

doing.

[Skwmom]

7. They are doing a LOUSY job rescuing people. They aren't even capable of

doing that!

On edit: The Coast Guard on the ground are doing an excellent job. The people in charge of planning and staffing the rescue are idiots.