Rescuers: 'lift Your Tops'

[zeaq328i]

Source

A group of female hurricane Katrina survivors were told to show their breasts if they wanted to be rescued, a British holidaymaker has revealed.


Ged Scott watched as American rescuers turned their boat around and sped off when the women refused.

The account was just another example of the horror stories emerging from the hurricane disaster zone.

Mr Scott, 36, of Liverpool, was with his wife and seven-year-old daughter in the Ramada Hotel when the flood waters started rising.

"At one point, there were a load of girls on the roof of the hotel saying 'Can you help us?' and the policemen said 'Show us what you've got' and made signs for them to lift their T-shirts," he told the Liverpool Evening Echo.

"When the girls refused, they said 'Fine' and motored off down the road in their boat."

At one point he had to wade through filthy water to barricade the hotel doors against looters.

He said the experience made him want to vomit.

Mr Scott also slated the rescue operation, saying police were more interested in taking snapshots of the devastation rather than rescuing the victims.

"I could not have a lower opinion of the authorities, from the police officers on the street right up to George Bush," he said.


"I couldn't describe how bad the authorities were. Just little things like taking photographs of us, as we are standing on the roof waving for help, for their own little snapshot albums"

He added: "The American people saved us. I wish I could say the same for the American authorities."

Mike Brocken, of Chester, said he feared his wife Christine and 18-year-old daughter Stephanie would be raped when they went into the Louisiana Superdome.

The family were also racially abused by other refugees in the stadium.

Mr Brocken, a BBC Radio Merseyside presenter and music lecturer, told the station: "We were going to go inside the Superdome.

"I approached two members of the National Guard and they said to stay outside because they knew it was hell in there.

"One female office basically said under no circumstances take the women in there, because she knew what it was like.

"We were so frightened and we stayed alongside the National Guard for some kind of protection.

"It was at that stage that they started to take us under their wing and eventually managed to get us into the basketball stadium."

He added: "Everyone talks about the National Guard in rather derogatory ways historically, but I've got to say that, but for them, and one man in particular, I may well have lost my family."

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[komodo]

That's horrible... sick and horrible.

[delmarco]

This is the country we pay taxes to live in....
so embarrassing!

[LandoAWD]

I haven't seen this corroborated on any reputable sites. I have seen several forum posts about it though.

[zeaq328i]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...,00.html?f=rss

[LandoAWD]

All I see is that same account over and over on every link. Surely there would be more uproar about this and coverage on some level by US media. The only overseas source I trust is the BBC, and I cannot find info there.

Again, the key word is "reputable".

[zeaq328i]

The US media is hiding something perhaps?Skynews is a big network like BBC.

[german speed demon]

Originally Posted by komodo

That's horrible... sick and horrible.

Indeed...they are there to perform a service to mankind, not get their jollies off.

disgusting.

[LandoAWD]

Originally Posted by zeaq328i

The US media is hiding something perhaps?

It certainly would not be the first, or last, time.

I have seen numerous indescretions on video, in print, etc from this tragedy involving law enforcement, citizens, etc, but have yet to hear much about this.

[Red_Rocket]

Yet I cant stand why we keep blaming the Authorities, When there are people looting, and not cooperating, It was a freaking natural disaster, It takes a few tries for plans to work out, and from what i see in this instant, is that we cant satisfy everyone or accomplish everything that needs to be accomplished in one shot, its going to take awhile people...

[RogueRonin]

Here ya go, Lando:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/4208792.stm

Although, this particular report doesn't make any mention of authorities wanting to see the female evacuees' breasts, it does confirm that they were being targeted, racially. What a sad, and pathetic world we live in. I'm moving to Mars.

[LandoAWD]

Yeah, I watched the video on CNN this morning.

[DEATH2000]

man right now im glad i live in Canada, sorry to say but Louisianna has fallen to shit. NO will never be the same again

[witeshark]

I just dunno what to say about that.

[spiff]

its disgusting how no matter how horrible a situation, some males are still thinking about one thing, and that makes me not proud to be an american.