Eli Covington's Photos of rescue in Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22281&l=f948b&id=510225147 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=22286&l=df20f&id=510225147
Just wait until we see the 6 hrs. of hdv video!
Meanwhile, the guys are planning to send more aid into the stricken region. Stay tuned...
IZ
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Press conferences en Managua
Jason and Josh brought Miskito Indian leaders to Managua and set up press conferences for them to tell their stories to the Nicaraguan people. They are getting some help. They are building an aid train to help the people who will not be reached by other aid agencies who are better at promotion and fundraising than the work and risk of delivery...and there are quite a few. When someone says that "We are delivering aid to the people in the hurricane Felix region," who knows? Where are the specifics, the photos, the video?
The boys hold the high card of unparalleled credibility simply by making a real effort. Nice work.
They deserve some help to do more.
IZ
The boys hold the high card of unparalleled credibility simply by making a real effort. Nice work.
They deserve some help to do more.
IZ
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
They were riding back to civilization, when suddenly
Their bus drove into a swollen river in the night. Water started gushing in the windows and people were stunned into inaction. Josh was exclaiming, "It never ends!"
I can't tell you more, except that adults and children were pulled to the safety of the river bank by our boys, the cameras are safe and so is everyone else. This exit was greatly slowed down, of course, but they may make it to Managua by midnight.
I think they'll get some rest.
IZ
I can't tell you more, except that adults and children were pulled to the safety of the river bank by our boys, the cameras are safe and so is everyone else. This exit was greatly slowed down, of course, but they may make it to Managua by midnight.
I think they'll get some rest.
IZ
Sunday, September 9, 2007
"Those Who Dare, Win" -British Special Air Services
In love and war, that is the way it has always been and it did not change today. Our boys confronted a sizable risk, deemed it possible and plunged into the fray. That demonstrates character worthy of universal respect. This is the classic “David and Goliath” scenario that the inner man aspires to: the thrill of a noble challenge.
What is courage? Can it be gauged by playing a game well? Can stature be created with PR? Do we have the right criteria to measure heroes in our society? Does integrity play a role in our media star selections? Why do so many of our superstars disappoint us when the lens gets close? Who is the more notable figure? A person who climbs a mountain for sport, or the one who climbs a peak to deliver medicine to a plagued village? Does character matter to you?
Clever individuals who learn to excel within an artificial set of rules will not be the same ones who excel in the natural turbulence of life. Our society needs to be careful in selecting role models. Do we confuse the brash with the brave? Do we cross up the clever with the wise? Do we mistake the orator for the achiever?
Josh, Jason and Juan have safely reported in. They have achieved all their goals and more. They delivered the first substantial aid to the hurricane region, their initial efforts equaled only by the US Navy. Their efforts on land and sea have saved many lives and given hope to an entire region racked in the throes of desperation. No man will ever measure the full extent of their impact.
Tonight I spoke to Salvador Furman (505-435-2244), a substantial Miskito Indian leader. His praise was high for our crew and he extended the deep gratitude of his people for their rescue work. He said Americans would ever be remembered and welcome on this coast, as long as memories last. He spoke in near perfect English, as do many Miskito; a fact generally unknown. He will return to Sandy Bay tomorrow to continue burying animals and people. He said the dead have barely begun to be counted and that cholera was near.
I spoke with Dr. Olayo (505-853-0560), who is the only trained radiologist in Pto. Cabezas now. He flew in from Managua to be with his people during the storm. He is working 24 hrs.per day, but promises that it will slow down in a week. Tomorrow he will make us a list of needed medicines. For now, he mentioned water, plastic tarps and food staples.
Elvis Dublon weathered the storm with his family, but lost the entire roof of his house. He is pastoring his people and will be mediating human rights disputes very soon.
Juan Samuel is planning a press conference in Managua for Miskito leaders and shaping the logistics of an aid supply line.
Gulf King will be sending water north on its ships to drop off at Big Sandy Bay before shrimping back to Bluefields.
Jason (505-477-2867) was completely overwhelmed by the ineffectiveness of the bureaucracy of government and general aid deliveries, except by the US military. He was totally exhausted, but noted the incredible depth of the needs in the villages surrounding Big Sandy Bay. He was proud that he got a US chopper to fly a Cuban MD around to various villages. Politics were not considered important on that day.
Josh (505-443-0550) has a couple hundred photographs and six hours of high definition videotape. He was astonished their ship really was needed so badly and they could help the people so greatly. He was not sure how important this all would be, until he arrived at Sandy Bay and saw the people. They were the first ship in. This was more than important; this was History itself.
Now the rebuilding begins…
PS
Does CNN still need hero nominations?
Robert Izdepski, President, Sub Ocean Safety (non-profit, 501-3 c), and proud father of Josh.
What is courage? Can it be gauged by playing a game well? Can stature be created with PR? Do we have the right criteria to measure heroes in our society? Does integrity play a role in our media star selections? Why do so many of our superstars disappoint us when the lens gets close? Who is the more notable figure? A person who climbs a mountain for sport, or the one who climbs a peak to deliver medicine to a plagued village? Does character matter to you?
Clever individuals who learn to excel within an artificial set of rules will not be the same ones who excel in the natural turbulence of life. Our society needs to be careful in selecting role models. Do we confuse the brash with the brave? Do we cross up the clever with the wise? Do we mistake the orator for the achiever?
Josh, Jason and Juan have safely reported in. They have achieved all their goals and more. They delivered the first substantial aid to the hurricane region, their initial efforts equaled only by the US Navy. Their efforts on land and sea have saved many lives and given hope to an entire region racked in the throes of desperation. No man will ever measure the full extent of their impact.
Tonight I spoke to Salvador Furman (505-435-2244), a substantial Miskito Indian leader. His praise was high for our crew and he extended the deep gratitude of his people for their rescue work. He said Americans would ever be remembered and welcome on this coast, as long as memories last. He spoke in near perfect English, as do many Miskito; a fact generally unknown. He will return to Sandy Bay tomorrow to continue burying animals and people. He said the dead have barely begun to be counted and that cholera was near.
I spoke with Dr. Olayo (505-853-0560), who is the only trained radiologist in Pto. Cabezas now. He flew in from Managua to be with his people during the storm. He is working 24 hrs.per day, but promises that it will slow down in a week. Tomorrow he will make us a list of needed medicines. For now, he mentioned water, plastic tarps and food staples.
Elvis Dublon weathered the storm with his family, but lost the entire roof of his house. He is pastoring his people and will be mediating human rights disputes very soon.
Juan Samuel is planning a press conference in Managua for Miskito leaders and shaping the logistics of an aid supply line.
Gulf King will be sending water north on its ships to drop off at Big Sandy Bay before shrimping back to Bluefields.
Jason (505-477-2867) was completely overwhelmed by the ineffectiveness of the bureaucracy of government and general aid deliveries, except by the US military. He was totally exhausted, but noted the incredible depth of the needs in the villages surrounding Big Sandy Bay. He was proud that he got a US chopper to fly a Cuban MD around to various villages. Politics were not considered important on that day.
Josh (505-443-0550) has a couple hundred photographs and six hours of high definition videotape. He was astonished their ship really was needed so badly and they could help the people so greatly. He was not sure how important this all would be, until he arrived at Sandy Bay and saw the people. They were the first ship in. This was more than important; this was History itself.
Now the rebuilding begins…
PS
Does CNN still need hero nominations?
Robert Izdepski, President, Sub Ocean Safety (non-profit, 501-3 c), and proud father of Josh.
While the Mangroves Wailed and Moaned…
On the morning of September 5th, 24 hrs after Felix struck, our intrepid crew made it to Bluefields and found a willing ship topped off with fresh water. However, the Captain was waiting for a bank wire to buy fuel. The wire might come within 48 hrs. Our boys went about raising money and relief supplies in town and were able to sail that evening, a truly Herculean feat.
On the morning of September 5th, 24 hrs after Felix struck, perhaps 100 survivors of the storm’s surge were clinging to saltwater mangroves scattered throughout the Miskito Cayes, small islets of vegetation 22-29 miles offshore from Big Sandy Bay. These mosquito infested islets ranged in diameter from a few yards to a couple miles. All the fishing camps that surrounded the Mangroves were built on reefs with stilt construction. Of course they were completely erased from the sea. Only the mangroves survived, but no man can live inside the mangroves; only snakes, fish, crabs and big, black saltwater mosquitoes.
On the morning of September 5th, 24 hrs after Felix struck, I was trying to raise fuel money over the phone. I called a successful church and explained this urgent life and death drama to a secretary. In truth, this could have been almost any church, the Red Cross, the Administration at Virginia Tech or a City Council. The Pastor was in meetings and could not be disturbed. Could I leave a number and someone would get back to me? I protested that I needed a decision maker right now, but that was impossible. I called back, to no avail. The top man was insulated from outside interruptions and had not quantified it with his gate-keepers: there was only one rule to be applied in all circumstances. They did have a lady call in the afternoon, but it was too late…
On the other hand, I called Pastor John Raymond (from Survivor) and he immediately pulled out a few hundred from his cookie jar. A nice lady met me at Western Union with cash and I threw in a few hundred and suddenly there was enough to run with.
The trouble here was the trouble there: No one is allowed to make a bold decision on their own.
There is an army of bureaucrats who spend their lives protecting their position by never acting on thir own. Success is not rewarded and failure is punished.
On the morning of September 5th, 24 hrs after Felix struck, injured, dying men clung to the edge of the mangroves throughout the Miskito Cayes. The cursed mosquitoes had survived and tormented the men’s faces as they squatted in the salt shallows, moving limply with the sea. The day was warming up. These exhausted men needed water and a miracle. There were dead bodies in the Mangroves and floating on the sea. Sometimes they would twitch as if with life, but it was fish biting at them. The larger spasms would startle the birds to flight: sharks. There was an erie sound like a fog snaking through the mangroves, the guttural low sound of man’s pain and despair that precedes death; a wail and moan in the mangroves.
Our ship was too late to rescue these fishermen, who died of thirst and exposure. In fact, the odds of anyone being alive the following day were so bad that the boys reluctantly skipped the Cayes and addressed the emergencies on the mainland. We are waiting for word from Big Sandy Bay...
IZ
On the morning of September 5th, 24 hrs after Felix struck, perhaps 100 survivors of the storm’s surge were clinging to saltwater mangroves scattered throughout the Miskito Cayes, small islets of vegetation 22-29 miles offshore from Big Sandy Bay. These mosquito infested islets ranged in diameter from a few yards to a couple miles. All the fishing camps that surrounded the Mangroves were built on reefs with stilt construction. Of course they were completely erased from the sea. Only the mangroves survived, but no man can live inside the mangroves; only snakes, fish, crabs and big, black saltwater mosquitoes.
On the morning of September 5th, 24 hrs after Felix struck, I was trying to raise fuel money over the phone. I called a successful church and explained this urgent life and death drama to a secretary. In truth, this could have been almost any church, the Red Cross, the Administration at Virginia Tech or a City Council. The Pastor was in meetings and could not be disturbed. Could I leave a number and someone would get back to me? I protested that I needed a decision maker right now, but that was impossible. I called back, to no avail. The top man was insulated from outside interruptions and had not quantified it with his gate-keepers: there was only one rule to be applied in all circumstances. They did have a lady call in the afternoon, but it was too late…
On the other hand, I called Pastor John Raymond (from Survivor) and he immediately pulled out a few hundred from his cookie jar. A nice lady met me at Western Union with cash and I threw in a few hundred and suddenly there was enough to run with.
The trouble here was the trouble there: No one is allowed to make a bold decision on their own.
There is an army of bureaucrats who spend their lives protecting their position by never acting on thir own. Success is not rewarded and failure is punished.
On the morning of September 5th, 24 hrs after Felix struck, injured, dying men clung to the edge of the mangroves throughout the Miskito Cayes. The cursed mosquitoes had survived and tormented the men’s faces as they squatted in the salt shallows, moving limply with the sea. The day was warming up. These exhausted men needed water and a miracle. There were dead bodies in the Mangroves and floating on the sea. Sometimes they would twitch as if with life, but it was fish biting at them. The larger spasms would startle the birds to flight: sharks. There was an erie sound like a fog snaking through the mangroves, the guttural low sound of man’s pain and despair that precedes death; a wail and moan in the mangroves.
Our ship was too late to rescue these fishermen, who died of thirst and exposure. In fact, the odds of anyone being alive the following day were so bad that the boys reluctantly skipped the Cayes and addressed the emergencies on the mainland. We are waiting for word from Big Sandy Bay...
IZ
Saturday, September 8, 2007
When there is no communication...
It's rough out over the edge, where every single decision is life critical. Juan is an old hand at action and I've done my best to train Josh, but no father is ever satisified that he's done enough. I believe Jason is up to this from phone conversations I've had with him and I expect that no ship captain who would undertake a dangerous voyage of this magnitude has anything but steel in his eyes. The other players are wild cards that you draw by chance and make the most of what you get.
I'm betting heavily on this crew, but they are in dire and extremely unpredictable circumstances. They are beyond assistance, truly on their own in the midst of hundreds of desperate Miskito Indians who are not highly distinguished for their aversion to violence. This is La Tierra Sin Ley; The Land Without Law. Food and water belong to the strong.
I wish I was with them. Sitting and waiting is worse than action. I had to sit and wait for Jesse, my eldest son of five, to come back from Iraq. I could only go there in my dreams.
Chuck Bean has a blog that seems good. I agree that the Moravians, from Bethleham , PA, have a long and strong record of solid help for the Miskito people in Nicaragua and Honduras.
http://helpnicaragua.blogspot.com/2007/09/sub-ocean-safetys-blog-about-aid-to.html.
They are good at long term recoveries. SOS only helps when the bombs flash, then, when it quiets down, we go elsewhere .
Salutations to Caleb, son two, who won his LSU Masters degree today!
IZ is going to pace the floor.
I'm betting heavily on this crew, but they are in dire and extremely unpredictable circumstances. They are beyond assistance, truly on their own in the midst of hundreds of desperate Miskito Indians who are not highly distinguished for their aversion to violence. This is La Tierra Sin Ley; The Land Without Law. Food and water belong to the strong.
I wish I was with them. Sitting and waiting is worse than action. I had to sit and wait for Jesse, my eldest son of five, to come back from Iraq. I could only go there in my dreams.
Chuck Bean has a blog that seems good. I agree that the Moravians, from Bethleham , PA, have a long and strong record of solid help for the Miskito people in Nicaragua and Honduras.
http://helpnicaragua.blogspot.com/2007/09/sub-ocean-safetys-blog-about-aid-to.html.
They are good at long term recoveries. SOS only helps when the bombs flash, then, when it quiets down, we go elsewhere .
Salutations to Caleb, son two, who won his LSU Masters degree today!
IZ is going to pace the floor.
"The only way in is by air"...NOT
From the Americas and the Caribbean:
ReliefWeb New YorkOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsUnited NationsNew York, NY 10017, USATel. +1-212-963-1234
Call them about the Miskito Coast disaster. A rude Frenchman will tell you it is the wrong number and to call FEMA. Then he hangs up.
On a Reuters video photo op, Ortega says the only resupply possible for the Miskito Coast is by air. Tell that to our heroes, Josh, Jason and Juan, who are out of phone contact in Big Sandy Bay in one of 200 ships available in Bluefields. The government only knows how to hold out its hand for help, but will not help itself. Why hasn't Bluefields been mobilized? Our kids did it with nothing.
I hope the US Navy will see our US flagged ship as a local asset and assist our young heroes in a joint mission with water, fuel and food. The kids must be tired of eating plateno bananas.
My maps have lost their initial importance, the Miskito People have congregated in visible groups now, found by watching the US Navy Helicopter flights. Those Navy guys are good. However, our ship can hold much more weight than a helicopter and do it less expensively, though more slowly. I hope we can help.
The news is slow to report on anything except euphramisms from big aid orgs. about what they have "in motion". There are very few "on-site claims". The most agressive group down there are the three "J's": Josh, Jason and Juan. I hope all is well. NPR posted some photos of food riots at the helicopter drops in Big Sandy Bay yesterday. Violence. I called Southcom and voiced my concern for the kids to the US Navy last night and this morning. Even heroes can get hurt.
We are on the crest of this evolving rescue drama. You are ahead of the news. I'll report as soon as the boys can call. IZ
ReliefWeb New YorkOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian AffairsUnited NationsNew York, NY 10017, USATel. +1-212-963-1234
Call them about the Miskito Coast disaster. A rude Frenchman will tell you it is the wrong number and to call FEMA. Then he hangs up.
On a Reuters video photo op, Ortega says the only resupply possible for the Miskito Coast is by air. Tell that to our heroes, Josh, Jason and Juan, who are out of phone contact in Big Sandy Bay in one of 200 ships available in Bluefields. The government only knows how to hold out its hand for help, but will not help itself. Why hasn't Bluefields been mobilized? Our kids did it with nothing.
I hope the US Navy will see our US flagged ship as a local asset and assist our young heroes in a joint mission with water, fuel and food. The kids must be tired of eating plateno bananas.
My maps have lost their initial importance, the Miskito People have congregated in visible groups now, found by watching the US Navy Helicopter flights. Those Navy guys are good. However, our ship can hold much more weight than a helicopter and do it less expensively, though more slowly. I hope we can help.
The news is slow to report on anything except euphramisms from big aid orgs. about what they have "in motion". There are very few "on-site claims". The most agressive group down there are the three "J's": Josh, Jason and Juan. I hope all is well. NPR posted some photos of food riots at the helicopter drops in Big Sandy Bay yesterday. Violence. I called Southcom and voiced my concern for the kids to the US Navy last night and this morning. Even heroes can get hurt.
We are on the crest of this evolving rescue drama. You are ahead of the news. I'll report as soon as the boys can call. IZ
Friday, September 7, 2007
CRITICAL: First Water to Reach Pto. Cabezas!!!
Josh, Jason and Juan's ship from the Gulf King Texas Shrimp Co. in Bluefields was the first to deliver water into the Hurricane zone this afternoon. They supplied some water to the Pto. Cabezas Hospital (which was dry) and had to leave women with babies crying for water at the dock and sail away. The US Navy has helicopter medical flights in evidence, but they had little water carrying capacity. No other organizations are bringing water as far as anyone can see...this is a slow witted disaster response by common standards, or perhaps no response at all.
We had to break off because the water need is ever the more critical 30 miles north at Big Sandy Bay! Bodies have been seen floating all the way up into Honduran waters. Perhaps we can work with the USNS Comfort, the mother ship of the helicopters and ferry in fresh water supplies from their desalinization plants. We can run in much shallower water, closer to the coast. We could also give them deck space for their medical teams to operate, if needed.
In any case, we will run short of diesel and water before long. The Gulf King has perhaps 70 similar ships to ours in the Bluefields region. I imagine that if fuel and oil was supplied , the head office of: Gulf King Shrimp Co.
322 Huff StreetAransas Pass, TX 78336 (361) 758-5373 might provide even more assistance in this emergency, but we can't expect them to carry this burden alone. As it is, we are thankful for the good help they have given us already.
If you've read this far, perhaps you can see that we know what the hell we're talking about in this disaster. There are a lot more dead and dying than any reporter can see from a bar room stool in Managua. THERE IS A POTENTIAL OF THOUSANDS of victims, mark my words.
LIFE AND DEATH NEEDS
1) We need hundreds of huge (High "Mill" thickness) black plastic tarps to catch rainwater. This is a light and cheap donation...the best kind.
2) Cash for hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel for this ship and hopefully more.
3) Small operating cash for Josh, Jason and Juan. Food, batteries, minutes, hats, whatever. Sunscreen!
We're not going to beg or hold up hungry babies, but if you want to help this fine crew finish their exceptional and important work, your donation could not possibly do more good, dollar for dollar...and it is tax deductible.
Call Bob, IZ, Susan or Robert Izdepski at 985-882-7286; 24/7, or subocean@charter.net
We had to break off because the water need is ever the more critical 30 miles north at Big Sandy Bay! Bodies have been seen floating all the way up into Honduran waters. Perhaps we can work with the USNS Comfort, the mother ship of the helicopters and ferry in fresh water supplies from their desalinization plants. We can run in much shallower water, closer to the coast. We could also give them deck space for their medical teams to operate, if needed.
In any case, we will run short of diesel and water before long. The Gulf King has perhaps 70 similar ships to ours in the Bluefields region. I imagine that if fuel and oil was supplied , the head office of: Gulf King Shrimp Co.
322 Huff StreetAransas Pass, TX 78336 (361) 758-5373 might provide even more assistance in this emergency, but we can't expect them to carry this burden alone. As it is, we are thankful for the good help they have given us already.
If you've read this far, perhaps you can see that we know what the hell we're talking about in this disaster. There are a lot more dead and dying than any reporter can see from a bar room stool in Managua. THERE IS A POTENTIAL OF THOUSANDS of victims, mark my words.
LIFE AND DEATH NEEDS
1) We need hundreds of huge (High "Mill" thickness) black plastic tarps to catch rainwater. This is a light and cheap donation...the best kind.
2) Cash for hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel for this ship and hopefully more.
3) Small operating cash for Josh, Jason and Juan. Food, batteries, minutes, hats, whatever. Sunscreen!
We're not going to beg or hold up hungry babies, but if you want to help this fine crew finish their exceptional and important work, your donation could not possibly do more good, dollar for dollar...and it is tax deductible.
Call Bob, IZ, Susan or Robert Izdepski at 985-882-7286; 24/7, or subocean@charter.net
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Hurricane Felix disaster relief
For a while, Hurricane Felix looked as if he might pass north of Cape Gracias a Dios. This cruel hoax was enough to slow early evacuations in Nicaragua, until it was too late. Then the killer curved south and quickly strengthened from a category 3 to the deadliest category, 5. This meant certain death for hundreds of Miskito Indians on the low-lying coast north of Puerto Cabezas, in Big Sandy Bay. My friends, Indian Rights Leader, Elvis Dublon and Dr. Umberto Castro Olayo, flew into the coast from Managua to protect their people, just before it hit. These guys are men by any definition that matters in a crisis. We’ll hear from them in a few days.
When Felix struck, there was a 2-man video team with three HDV cameras in Managua. No relief organization appeared ready to respond. Young Josh and Jason of the video crew tried to get a helicopter or a plane, tried to get in with army transport, got ready to drive in as far as they could and finally decided to personally mount an audacious sea-born rescue of the Big Sandy Bay region…population 12,000 Miskito Indians. This is the low-lying area where the eye-wall hit. It is also the heart of the Miskito Indian culture.
Trouble was they had $130 US, no supplies, no ship, no support and no chance. That didn’t matter, they would win anyway. They had one friend, Juan Samuel, a Black Miskito Indian whom I never knew to back away from anything during my 13 years of Human Rights work in Central America. Even if no one else in the whole region, including some well-financed groups, ever got to Big Sandy Bay, these guys would get there and save lives.
Josh Izdepski was in Big Sandy Bay 10 years before, on a six-week expedition, when he was 14. The day Felix struck, he turned 24. Now he was a film maker, with his friend, Jason.
The fly-over information states that there is no more Sandy Bay…There is no ground information. Josh and Jason aim to change that.
Updates as information becomes available...
RVIZ
www.suboceansafety.com
When Felix struck, there was a 2-man video team with three HDV cameras in Managua. No relief organization appeared ready to respond. Young Josh and Jason of the video crew tried to get a helicopter or a plane, tried to get in with army transport, got ready to drive in as far as they could and finally decided to personally mount an audacious sea-born rescue of the Big Sandy Bay region…population 12,000 Miskito Indians. This is the low-lying area where the eye-wall hit. It is also the heart of the Miskito Indian culture.
Trouble was they had $130 US, no supplies, no ship, no support and no chance. That didn’t matter, they would win anyway. They had one friend, Juan Samuel, a Black Miskito Indian whom I never knew to back away from anything during my 13 years of Human Rights work in Central America. Even if no one else in the whole region, including some well-financed groups, ever got to Big Sandy Bay, these guys would get there and save lives.
Josh Izdepski was in Big Sandy Bay 10 years before, on a six-week expedition, when he was 14. The day Felix struck, he turned 24. Now he was a film maker, with his friend, Jason.
The fly-over information states that there is no more Sandy Bay…There is no ground information. Josh and Jason aim to change that.
Updates as information becomes available...
RVIZ
www.suboceansafety.com
Hurricane Felix – Disaster Response 9.6.07
48 Hrs. after the passing
Tonight, in a high-speed miracle, with well-provisioned ship, the boys set sail for Big Sandy Bay. Caught up by this spirit, two dive boats follow them north with supplies and water. This charging rescue fleet’s departure is bittersweet. News has come in that at least 100 men are dead in the offshore Cayes 12-20 miles east of Big Sandy Bay. The storm killed some and the rest died of thirst, marooned in the saltwater mangroves; a bitter end. As incredibly fast as this rescue has developed, we are too late for the offshore islets, the Cayes, regrettably.
In reading the papers, I suppress a nervous laugh at the casualty count. 4, then 12, now twenty with 200 missing. That must be the number in Puerto Cabezas; and I’m sure it is low.
How can uncounted Indians be missing? As I know this coast well, I know that many hundreds have died with many more to come, unless there is intervention. Cholera may break out from unburied bodies and dysentery is already draining people to death. The government does not want to look like the "Katrina Clowns", so the “real” official numbers may never be counted.
Josh, Jason and the indomitable Juan Samuel will know the real story in the morning, about 60 hrs. after the passing. They will work without ceasing to save people and be out of communication for a few days. I wish my son, Josh, and his comrades health and success in the climax of their rescue; I can only wait to hear from them and pray for their safety and success.
We’ve done pretty well with nothing, yet again. I hope you will support Sub Ocean Safety to empower us to assist these people further. If you want to see a milliion dollar rescue with $130, stay tuned.
IZ, is
http://www.suboceansafety.com/
Tonight, in a high-speed miracle, with well-provisioned ship, the boys set sail for Big Sandy Bay. Caught up by this spirit, two dive boats follow them north with supplies and water. This charging rescue fleet’s departure is bittersweet. News has come in that at least 100 men are dead in the offshore Cayes 12-20 miles east of Big Sandy Bay. The storm killed some and the rest died of thirst, marooned in the saltwater mangroves; a bitter end. As incredibly fast as this rescue has developed, we are too late for the offshore islets, the Cayes, regrettably.
In reading the papers, I suppress a nervous laugh at the casualty count. 4, then 12, now twenty with 200 missing. That must be the number in Puerto Cabezas; and I’m sure it is low.
How can uncounted Indians be missing? As I know this coast well, I know that many hundreds have died with many more to come, unless there is intervention. Cholera may break out from unburied bodies and dysentery is already draining people to death. The government does not want to look like the "Katrina Clowns", so the “real” official numbers may never be counted.
Josh, Jason and the indomitable Juan Samuel will know the real story in the morning, about 60 hrs. after the passing. They will work without ceasing to save people and be out of communication for a few days. I wish my son, Josh, and his comrades health and success in the climax of their rescue; I can only wait to hear from them and pray for their safety and success.
We’ve done pretty well with nothing, yet again. I hope you will support Sub Ocean Safety to empower us to assist these people further. If you want to see a milliion dollar rescue with $130, stay tuned.
IZ, is
http://www.suboceansafety.com/
Hurricane Felix – Disaster Response 9.6.07
36 hrs. after the passing
The boys have made it to Bluefields and are enlisting the town in this rescue effort. They get $3,000 worth of diesel from thin air, food, medicine, tarps, buckets, Clorox, etc. All they can hold! The loading of the ship begins in earnest.
IZ
www.suboceansafety.com
The boys have made it to Bluefields and are enlisting the town in this rescue effort. They get $3,000 worth of diesel from thin air, food, medicine, tarps, buckets, Clorox, etc. All they can hold! The loading of the ship begins in earnest.
IZ
www.suboceansafety.com
Hurricane Felix – Disaster Response 9.5.07
24 hrs. after the hit:
UPDATE: IZ
The boys found a 75' US Flagged Shrimp boat in Bluefields, full of fresh water. They are resourceful!
The miracle might happen. Josh is at Bluefields now, loading the ship to sail north with clean water, food, medicine, buckets and Clorox to purify foul water.A desperate race for lives is on and our small band of heroes has overcome every obstacle so far. One must remember that these are pirate waters they sail into, choked with coral reefs and turbid currents. Still, they have courage, a solid plan and the hand of God.
This is a historic rescue. These boys were flocked by media in Managua as the prepared for this quest. TV will be there in Bluefields for interviews.
Josh and Jason have cameras, dry bags, sound gear, tripods, etc. We'll be able to share this first look into the eye of Category 5 Felix when they return from this rescue.
Josh was in Big Sandy Bay before, and we'll trust his training was right. We slept on the floor of many a hut there and now we can pay back the hospitality.
That is where I stayed in a five stripe hotel; waking up in the morning with five rows of miskito bites on my back from the cracks in the floor boards!
Once they sail, it’s radio silence until the mission is over.
May all their giants prove to be small.
I sent the boys $1,900 today for supplies, but they need fuel…for which they’re working hard with local government and industry. When they return, they will have saved lives, the Region will be documented and the aid needs posted on suboceansafety.com. You could help then. We will need more supplies soon. Don’t worry about the fuel, Josh and Jason will get it somehow in the port of Bluefields, I have no doubt. They are completely unstoppable.
This was all done without money; with only force of will, boldness and vision. The army, Red Cross and multiple aid organizations are still running in circles around Managua. These boys will be the first and perhaps the only group to aid the most severely impacted Miskito Indians of this forsaken coast.
When they get back, they should be Knighted.
Robert Izdepski
www.suboceansafety.com
UPDATE: IZ
The boys found a 75' US Flagged Shrimp boat in Bluefields, full of fresh water. They are resourceful!
The miracle might happen. Josh is at Bluefields now, loading the ship to sail north with clean water, food, medicine, buckets and Clorox to purify foul water.A desperate race for lives is on and our small band of heroes has overcome every obstacle so far. One must remember that these are pirate waters they sail into, choked with coral reefs and turbid currents. Still, they have courage, a solid plan and the hand of God.
This is a historic rescue. These boys were flocked by media in Managua as the prepared for this quest. TV will be there in Bluefields for interviews.
Josh and Jason have cameras, dry bags, sound gear, tripods, etc. We'll be able to share this first look into the eye of Category 5 Felix when they return from this rescue.
Josh was in Big Sandy Bay before, and we'll trust his training was right. We slept on the floor of many a hut there and now we can pay back the hospitality.
That is where I stayed in a five stripe hotel; waking up in the morning with five rows of miskito bites on my back from the cracks in the floor boards!
Once they sail, it’s radio silence until the mission is over.
May all their giants prove to be small.
I sent the boys $1,900 today for supplies, but they need fuel…for which they’re working hard with local government and industry. When they return, they will have saved lives, the Region will be documented and the aid needs posted on suboceansafety.com. You could help then. We will need more supplies soon. Don’t worry about the fuel, Josh and Jason will get it somehow in the port of Bluefields, I have no doubt. They are completely unstoppable.
This was all done without money; with only force of will, boldness and vision. The army, Red Cross and multiple aid organizations are still running in circles around Managua. These boys will be the first and perhaps the only group to aid the most severely impacted Miskito Indians of this forsaken coast.
When they get back, they should be Knighted.
Robert Izdepski
www.suboceansafety.com
Hurricane Felix – Disaster Response
12 hrs. after the Felix disaster:
Consultations and predictions…My job description
The map shows the heavily populated region Nicaragua’s Miskito Coast that took Felix's best hit. Awastara is 26 miles North of Pto. Cabezas and just South of it is a 50' hill where survivors will be praying for water in the heat. All these villages were just above sea level and could not withstand an 18' tidal surge with 30' waves on top.
All the water wells will be fouled for some time unforeseeable. The crops and livestock are gone. The huts are gone. There are only snakes in the trees with the buzzards and steaming heat.
6.56 miles WNW of Kaska is a 60-foot hill of refuge for all these villages. The Miskito will be there, waiting for the fouled waters to recede, digging graves or hanging from trees. In several days the flies will take over.
12,000 people lived in this region. Three days from now there will be much death, 100% dysentery, hundreds of bodies and cholera, if not typhoid.
Only US, British, Dutch or even French naval helicopters could help right now. The people could walk out as it dries, if they had water, but they will be weak.
All who are on these hill tops will likely die.
Press could help if there was video tomorrow. Perhaps someone would see the video of this desperation. Josh (011-505-443-9550) and Jason ( 011-505-477-5286) have HDV with directorial production skills and are in Managua, but have little chance of getting a heliocopter...all the politicians have them for photo ops. in Pto. Cabezas and the price is up 500%.
Cheer up, I'm sure it is just as bad along the Rio Coco. I imagine hundreds of paralyzed divers are dead. I hope that is somehow merciful.
I will continue to send you maps and the high points of refuge and point out obstacles, aids, regional needs, disease hazards, local doctors and whatever you ask, but water is king... I remain willing to consult about logistics or travel anywhere on the Miskito Coast in Nicaragua, or in Honduras, 24 hrs per day. This is a great and silent tragedy; a laisse-faire genocide in the heart of the Miskito Kingdom...home to some of the last free people on earth.
Without a miracle, there is no way to blunt this disaster…
IZ
www.suboceansafety.com
Consultations and predictions…My job description
The map shows the heavily populated region Nicaragua’s Miskito Coast that took Felix's best hit. Awastara is 26 miles North of Pto. Cabezas and just South of it is a 50' hill where survivors will be praying for water in the heat. All these villages were just above sea level and could not withstand an 18' tidal surge with 30' waves on top.
All the water wells will be fouled for some time unforeseeable. The crops and livestock are gone. The huts are gone. There are only snakes in the trees with the buzzards and steaming heat.
6.56 miles WNW of Kaska is a 60-foot hill of refuge for all these villages. The Miskito will be there, waiting for the fouled waters to recede, digging graves or hanging from trees. In several days the flies will take over.
12,000 people lived in this region. Three days from now there will be much death, 100% dysentery, hundreds of bodies and cholera, if not typhoid.
Only US, British, Dutch or even French naval helicopters could help right now. The people could walk out as it dries, if they had water, but they will be weak.
All who are on these hill tops will likely die.
Press could help if there was video tomorrow. Perhaps someone would see the video of this desperation. Josh (011-505-443-9550) and Jason ( 011-505-477-5286) have HDV with directorial production skills and are in Managua, but have little chance of getting a heliocopter...all the politicians have them for photo ops. in Pto. Cabezas and the price is up 500%.
Cheer up, I'm sure it is just as bad along the Rio Coco. I imagine hundreds of paralyzed divers are dead. I hope that is somehow merciful.
I will continue to send you maps and the high points of refuge and point out obstacles, aids, regional needs, disease hazards, local doctors and whatever you ask, but water is king... I remain willing to consult about logistics or travel anywhere on the Miskito Coast in Nicaragua, or in Honduras, 24 hrs per day. This is a great and silent tragedy; a laisse-faire genocide in the heart of the Miskito Kingdom...home to some of the last free people on earth.
Without a miracle, there is no way to blunt this disaster…
IZ
www.suboceansafety.com
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