Thursday, January 17, 2008
Sunday, September 16, 2007
"The man with the gun is the law" -the Colonel
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
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
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.
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