Louisiana officials accused of blocking rescue volunteers

[{-- lo_y. }]

(lots of stories like this on neworleans.indymedia.org)



State Police in Lafayette, Louisiana, have been accussed of hindering 
attempts by private citizens to rescue people trapped by floodwaters in New 
Orleans. The accusations were contained in an unconfirmed report received 
via email by Jason Robideaux, an attorney from Lafayette.

The email was written by a person who claimed to be part of "a group of 
approximately 1,000 citizens pulling 500 boats" heading into New Orleans to 
rescue people still stranded in places such as hospitals. The email claimed 
that the members of the flotilla were ".. experienced boaters, licensed 
fishermen and hunters, people who have spent their entire adult life and 
teenage years on the waterways of Louisiana."

The email reports that a Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries (DWF) agent ordered 
them to turn around and go home.

"We then specifically asked the DWF agent that we (and other citizens in 
the flotillia) be allowed to go to the hospitals and help evacuate the sick 
and the doctors and nurses stranded there. We offered to bring these people 
back to Lafayette, in our own vehicles, in order to ensure that they 
received proper and prompt medical care," the email said.

"The DWF agent did not want to hear this and ordered us home. We complied 
with the DWF agent's orders, turned around and headed back to Lafayette 
along with half of the flotillia. However, two of my friends were pulling 
my other boat, a smaller 15ft alumaweld with a 25 hp. The DWF agents let 
them through to proceed to the rescue operation launch site," the email 
continued.

The email also reported hundreds of DWF agents who were not being utilised.

"My two friends were allowed to drive to the launch site where the La. 
Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries were launching their rescue operations (via 
boat). They reported to me that there were over 200 DWF agents just 
standing around and doing nothing. My friends were kept there for 
approximately 3 hours. During that time they observed a large number of DWF 
agents doing nothing. After three hours had passed they were told that they 
were not needed and should go home. They complied with the DWF's orders and 
turned around and went home to Lafayette," the email said.

The accusations are yet to be confirmed.