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

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/