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Posted on 09/04/2005 6:52:12 PM PDT by Lorianne
AUSTRALIAN survivors of Hurricane Katrina told last night of their dramatic escape from New Orleans and the unfolding civil disaster in city.
The group, joyful at fleeing the nightmare of the Louisiana city, lauded one of its members as a hero. Bud Hopes, of Brisbane, was praised for saving dozens of tourists as the supposed safe haven of the city's Superdome became a hellhole.
"I would have to say that Bud is solely responsible for our evacuation," Vanessa Cullington, 22, of Sydney, told the Sunday Herald Sun by mobile phone from a bus carrying 10 Australians to safety in Dallas, Texas.
"I dread to think what would have happened if we hadn't got out. It's so great to be free."
News of the group's escape came as reports said as many as 10,000 people might have been killed by the hurricane and its aftermath, and President George Bush ordered more troops and an increased aid effort for the stricken Gulf of Mexico states.
As the Australians left the Superdome, food and water were almost non-existent and the stiflingly hot arena was filled with 25,000 people and the stench of human waste. Gangs stalked the tourists and women were threatened with rape.
"Bud took control. He was calm and kept it together the whole time," Ms Cullington said.
Mr Hopes, 32, said: "That was the worst place in the universe. Ninety-eight per cent of the people around the world are good. In that place, 98 per cent of the people were bad.
"Everyone brought their drugs, they brought guns, they brought knives. Soldiers were shot.
"It was like a refugee camp within a prison.
"It was full on. It was the worst thing I have seen in my life. I have never been so frightened."
Realising that foreigners were a target, Mr Hopes and the other Aussies gathered tourists from Europe, South America and elsewhere into one part of the building.
"There were 65 of us, so we were able to look after each other -- especially the girls who were being grabbed and threatened." Mr Hopes said.
He said they had organised escorts for the women when they had gone for food or to the toilet, and rosters to keep guard while others slept.
"We sat through the night just watching each other, not knowing if we would be alive in the morning."
John McNeil, 20, of Brisbane, said the worst point had come after two days when soldiers had told them the power in the dome was failing and there was only 10 minutes worth of gas left.
"I looked at Bud and said, 'That will be the end of us'," Mr McNeil said.
"The gangs . . . knew where we were. If the lights had gone out we would have been in deep trouble. We prayed for a miracle and the lights stayed on."
Mr Hopes said the Australians owed their lives to a National Guard Staff Sgt Garland Ogden, who had broken the rules to get the tourists out of the dome, with 60 people being evacuated to a medical centre.
"We did some shifts at the hospital to help nurse the sick to say thank you. It was a real Aussie thing," he said.
As the bus carrying the Australians crossed the Texan border, spirits were high.
"We've had hotdogs and chips and everyone is laughing," Mr Hopes said.
Later, the bus arrived at Dallas Convention Centre, where the Australians were processed.
Family and friends gathered at the Brisbane home of Mr McNeil's parents, Peter and Mary, where they were joined by Mr Hopes's sister, Debbie Browne.
Mrs McNeil broke down when she saw images of her son leaving New Orleans.
"There have been times during this past week when we didn't know if we would see him again," she said.
Mr McNeil said he could see a change in his son.
"They've been traumatised," he said. "I think they've witnessed several atrocities."
The other Australians on the bus were Emma Hardwick, of Sydney; Simon Wood, of Wyalkatchem, WA; Michael Ryan, of Lithgow, NSW; Yasmin Bright, of Newcastle; Michelle and Lisa van Grinsven, of Sydney; and Elise Sims, Tea Tree Gully, Adelaide.
Meanwhile, three Australian couples were safe in Los Angeles, awaiting flights home after being rescued from New Orleans by a Channel 7 news crew.
Tim and Joanne Miller, of Rockhampton, Garry and Cynthia Jones, of Brisbane, and Jack and Gloria Slinger, of Perth, crammed into a four-wheel-drive vehicle with reporter Mike Amor and two colleagues for the early morning dash.
The crew had arranged to pick up two couples from the building where they were holed up and found the Slingers on the streets.
"They were very wary about about coming out of the building. It was a pretty frightening scene -- bodies, shootings, looters," Amor said.
A phone call in the middle of the night gave hope to relatives of Brisbane's Fiona Seidel and her sister-in-law, Katie Maclean.
Mrs Maclean's husband, Andrew, was contacted by a New Orleans police officer who said he had seen the pair get on a bus.
I've posted about this several times since the hurricane.
I was in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Everyone was very civil. I was lucky because I was in the Silicon Valley, but even in San Francisco all the reporters talked about how nice and patient everyone was. People took turns stopping at all the lights. Everyone waited patiently while doing this.
I was single, and I didn't fear for my safety from thugs at all.
Even in Oakland, everyone was helpful while trying to get those trapped on the highway that collapsed.
It may be liberal around here, but people were really nice during the earthquake.
I'm sorry to see you're still taking flack for your comment in post #3. Obviously, some of these people never read down to #34. With all the racial comments in these threads the last few days, it's easy to be misunderstood. I am also getting TIRED of it. Thanks for the laugh awl.
I have no idea. I don't sit around counting races.
Posse Comitatus ...yes,more folks should know,you are right. This is the truth,no urban legend here, I asked someone if she knew what this was. She guessed that it was a music group, I wasn't surprised...sigh..
God Bless, and thank you for what you are doing.
I don't really know what the hell you're talking about but okay. Since I'm on the crew on your ping list as branding someone as a racist, I only have one thing to say. Comprende sarcasm amigo?
New Orleans sounds bad enough. It is so nice to from Detroit and not in it...
Bud Hopes for Governor of LA.
Jabbar Gibson for Mayor of New Orleans.
There, that is settled. Can we get Federal control implemented now?
I'm originally from New Orleans and as so many other large metropolitan cities in this country self reliance, self preservation, self control has been bred out of a welfare dependent class of people - not all of them black.
What amazes me in this race card game we're having is the number of white people rescuing a vast number of black people, but there is no mention of that by any of the race baiting poverty masters like Jack$on, $harpton, Elijah Cumming$, and Maxine (Clueless) Water$. No better for them to play 60's race card games.
Well it's a new world with new media and they are being called on it!
---I have no idea. I don't sit around counting races.---
You didn't notice? Or you're not curious? Or it's a forbidden subject?
I thought it was curious because earlier I read a story about the PB and it stated that because the population of NO had shifted in favor of the blacks in the last 20 years that a concerted effort had been made to see that the PD reflected the demographics of the city. So, of course, I'm wondering what the story is.
"NOLA always enjoyed being compared with Haiti. It seems like the comparison is a little too apt."
I must agree with you.
At the Astrodome.
If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
Sorry to accidentally include you with the rest of the bunch. I was agreeing with your post. And I was pinging those others who on another thread were accusing everyone who noticed that the looters were black of being "racial bigots."
And you can read more information about the NOPD, from this thread NG General Says Aid Delayed by Civil Unrest:
Is it fair to say, using the convention center as an example, that one reason it took until Friday to get aid in is the National Guard needed time to build up a response team with military police to ensure law and order because the New Orleans Police Department had degraded so much?GEN. BLUM: That is not only fair, it is accurate.
Excuse me, sir. But I did no such thing. I asked you an above the board question that you blew off as "irrelevant." I'd let it go, so you are the one continuing something. Not me.
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Petronsky,.... One non-criminal, of course would do nothing. But what about 20....30... 40 men going after these "gang of thugs". You know, 40 sheep charging the wolf?
After the first rape, it should of ended from within. It did not for whatever reason I don't know.
You may think I'm wrong, but I am not alone. There is a lot of folks who believe as I do.
I commend your position here at FR, the Emperor has a delightful red swag....
I'll lurk from time to time...even lurking in on your discourse. From a man of your stature, there must be loads of flawless wisdom to absorb.
Six f%$#^*@ rapes... spit
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