National Botanical Gardens, Washington, DC
Copyright 2012: singeronthesand
No one can predict misfortune.
Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap,
so men and women are caught
by accidents evil and sudden.
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
The people of Plaquemines Parish in Louisiana weren't expecting the ocean to burst over the Mississippi River levee this morning, covering their town with water and leaving thousands trapped on a roof or in an attic. No one thought that they would be marooned by water - without help from the police or the fire department. The water was rising about six inches every four minutes, gushing over the eighteen-mile-long levee and inundating everything in sight.
A father and his son, however, both named Jesse Shaffer, used two boats over a 12-hour period to pull 120 people (and several animals) to safety. Starting at 5:00 am this morning, the duo rescued ten people at a local auditorium, breaking through the ventilation system to reach them. Then they rescued a family of five from the roof of their trailer home just minutes before water swept over the top. The entire group, including three children under the age of 6, were hanging on to the roof and "screaming [for help] at the top of their lungs."
The older Shaffer noted that some of the houses that were supposed to be located in one area were found over a half mile away, floating along with the flow of water. ABC News reported that the two Shaffers "fought through debris, rough water, wind, and downed power lines to save their stranded friends." The younger man said they were just "going on adrenaline." His father insisted that they were not heroes - just two men doing what had to be done.
There is often no warning before tragedy strikes, and many times people end up standing on the side lines, wringing their hands, wondering what to do. In the wee hours this morning, two men received a phone call to evacuate in the face of the onslaught of water. Instead, they scrambled to find boats and set out to save the lives of their neighbors. They may not want to be called heroes, but they should be recognized as courageous men, compassionate neighbors, and loyal friends.
Facts of this story garnered from ABC News online
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