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Last Updated:
Sunday, November 20, 2005 10:39 AM
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News Release
| Auxiliary members supply MS State Police with Zodiacs |
Date:
Contact: Aux. Wayne Spivak |
Many of the members of the Launch 5 Foundation are also members of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, and Launch 5 when under orders, is a USCG Auxiliary Facility, used to perform Coast Guard missions on the Hudson River, as well as the New York City Harbor.
Upon learning of the extreme difficulties New Orleans was having with resources to rescue victims, the Launch 5 crew contacted Zodiac Marine who, without hesitation, donated four inflatables and one outboard motor.
Porteus, Gagne and Forrest, representing the Launch 5 Search and Rescue Foundation headed to New Orleans within days of Hurricane Katrina with donated Zodiac boats to help in the rescue and evacuation of victims of hurricane.
Loading their pickup truck with supplies and the four donated Zodiacs along with a brand new Yamaha 25HP motor, they headed towards New Orleans. While enroute, other Foundation members tracked the situation in the region and updated them with the best place to report for duty upon arrival.
Arriving at Camp Shelby, Gagne and Forrest were able to line-up the required innoculations and were seeking assignments.
In the meantime, the Zodiacs were very much needed. The Launch 5 team decided to re-donate the Zodiacs to the Mississippi State Police SAR team.
While Porteus began his trek back to Westchester, New York, Gagne and Forrest provided training on setup for the boats, and use of the inflatables, which were pressed into service almost immediately after training.
"Due to the experiences with Hurricane Katrina, and the recent sinking of the Ethan Alan in Lake George, New York with the loss of twenty-one souls, Launch 5 is re-tooling to make responses to these types of events more meaningful, and capable" said Porteus.
Auxiliary and Coast Guard training in small boat handling, and the spirit to serve the public - is what makes Auxiliary diversity an asset to the nation. Whether working as an Auxiliarist or as a private citizen, our members uphold the values of the Auxiliary motto - America's Volunteer Lifesavers.
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed, non-military volunteer's who assist the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions, except for military and direct law enforcement. These men and women can be found on the nation's waterways, in the air, in classrooms and on the dock, performing Maritime Domain Awareness patrols, safety patrols, vessel safety checks and public education. The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary in 1941. Its 30,000 members donate millions of hours annually in support of Coast Guard missions. For more information on the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, visit us at www.cgaux.org. ### |
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