As of
today, 462 homes have been damaged and 65 completely destroyed by the
devastating flooding and mudslides that struck southern California Tuesday. Seventeen
people have died and five are still missing.
As the
Associated Press reports, “Rescuers
‘searching for a miracle’ in California mudslides.” Perhaps that miracle
could have been the early deployment of hovercraft.
To quote
ABC News coverage of the California disaster, “In 2014, a mudslide in rural Oso in Washington state killed 43 people …
Travis Hots, fire chief of Snohomish County Fire District 22, was on the scene
in the first hour after that catastrophe. He recalled a sea of mud so thick
that crews had trouble slogging through it or so watery it was like quicksand.”
What ABC
didn’t mention is the vital role performed in that mudslide by the three
Neoteric rescue hovercraft owned by Snohomish County Fire District and
Snohomish County Search and Rescue. Their hovercraft enable first responders to
access areas other vehicles can't reach ...
Read the full story, with photo gallery…
Snohomish
County said, “Our hovercraft can navigate through floating debris and logs,
so we’re able to cross the flooded valley and access the debris field. These
Neoteric craft are able to quickly and safely access almost any environment.”
Imagine
what might have been accomplished in the California rescue operations if
hovercraft had been available … easier, faster rescues. Lives saved. First
responders kept above the danger, not
in it.
Hovercraft are a necessity in flood,
mud and water rescues
As Maritime Reporter and Marine
News magazines state: “Small hovercraft have a growing role
to play in search and rescue, commercial and military operations around the
world. Hovercraft can be a practical proposition for operations in areas
inaccessible to other vehicles including frozen water, mud flats, intertidal
areas, shallow rivers and flooded inland areas. Perceived to be environmentally
sound, as they don’t exhaust into the water, create no wash and do not disturb
the sea bed, they are also economical and do not endanger marine animals as
there is no propeller in the water.”
Neoteric
is the original and most experienced light hovercraft manufacturer, relied upon
by
first
responders in 50+ nations for more than four decades. And Neoteric’s founder, Chris
Fitzgerald, agrees with these magazines. In a recent news article about the role of Neoteric rescue hovercraft in Hurricane Harvey, he
says, “The real tragedy is there should be thousands of hovercraft for these
rescues. They can do so much more than other vehicles and fill the gap in amphibious
transport, as hovercraft can operate in fast-flowing water, in water full of
debris or in shallow water, places where boats have a problem … Even when
Katrina hit, we had craft operating and in a mud slide in Oregon a few years
ago. We are sorry to see these tragedies, but with global warming, we will see
a lot more, unfortunately.”
News media: Spread the word about rescue
hovercraft – you’ll save lives
The news
media could literally save lives if more coverage were devoted to the
unequalled value of hovercraft in natural disasters such as these. The fact
that so many well-known and influential people were regrettably affected by the
California tragedy could help boost this coverage. Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah
Winfrey, Jeff Bridges and Rob Lowe are all residents of Montecito, the city
ravaged by the mudslides …
Ellen
Tweeted: "This is not a river. This is the
101 freeway in my neighborhood right now. Montecito needs your love and support " …
“What is devastating is that we lost so many
lives,” Oprah said yesterday on The Ellen Show. “It’s such a tiny, little community and nobody would have expected that
after we survived the fires that we would have this devastation with the
mudslides so soon.” She described how some of her neighbors’ houses were
"just gone" after a
300-foot wide stream of mud ripped through them …
On
Instagram, Oprah posted a video of her wading through the mud and debris on her
property, saying, “Thanks everyone for
your prayers and concern. My property is fine. Some mud , and minor damage that
pales in comparison to what my neighbors are going thru. #mudslides" ...
Oprah’s
neighbor, Jeff Bridges, Tweeted, “Our
home has been severely damaged, but we are safe, and so thankful for that and
for the first responders who are working tirelessly to save people. We are heartbroken over the loss of lives in our
community. Your prayers and best wishes are most appreciated.”
Rob Lowe
Tweeted, “Mourning the dead
in our little town tonight. Praying for the survivors and preparing for
whatever may come. #Montecito”
@Ellen,
@Oprah, @TheJeffBridges, and @RobLowe, we invite you to read more on the Neoteric blog and website to
see why first responders in 50+ nations rely on the Neoteric rescue hovercraft to
save lives safely … and we hope you’ll share the news.
Maybe this
lifesaving news should be featured on The Ellen Show @EllenTV?
And to the news media: why
not some good news, for a change?
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