BILL WEIR, IS IN PUNTA GORDA.
BILL, YOU SPENT TIME WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF RESCUERS,
VOLUNTEERS, THE CAJUN NAVY, THEY GOT THAT NAME BECAUSE OF
THE RESPONSE TO KATRINA. WHAT YOU SAW AND DID WITH THEM
IS JUST STUNNING. >> YEAH, POPPY.
ONE OF THE BEST TIPS I EVER GOT FOR COVERING STORIES LIKE THIS
COMES FROM MR. ROGERS. HE TAUGHT MY KIDS THAT, WHEN
YOU SEE THESE HORRIBLE SCARY IMAGES, AND THESE EVENTS, LOOK
FOR THE HELPERS. THE CAJUN NAVY HAS BEEN PART OF
THAT DESCRIPTOR, THEY HAVE BEEN AMAZING HELPERS.
THERE'S OTHER GROUPS NOW THAT HAVE STARTED SINCE THEN.
YESTERDAY, THEY JOINED FORCES AND I WENT ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
>> AFTER UNIONS VIOLENT VISIT, THIS IS WHAT IS LEFT OF THE
CAUSEWAY BRIDGE FOR MAINLAND FLORIDA TO SANIBEL ISLAND.
THIS IS THE NOW IMPASSIBLE BRIDGE TO PINE ISLAND.
FOR RESIDENTS OF BOTH, BOATS AND HELICOPTERS ARE THE ONLY
EXIT OPTIONS. AND WHILE COAST GUARD BLACK
HARKS AND CHINOOK BUZZED OVER THE BARRIER ISLANDS, TWO OF THE
ONLY VOTES IN THIS PART OF THE GOLF CARROT CIVILIAN VOLUNTEERS
FROM THE CAJUN NAVY. THOSE GOOD OLD BOYS WITH BOATS
AND BIG HEARTS. >> IF YOU TELL US THERE'S
SOMEONE WHO NEEDS TO BE PICKED UP, WE WILL TRY AND GO GET
THEM. >> A NEW INITIATIVE CALLED
PROJECT DYNAMO IS MORE ACCUSTOMED TO SAVING AMERICANS
FROM WAR ZONES. >> HURRICANE IAN QUALIFIES.
>> YOU ARE NAMED AFTER CHURCHILL'S OPERATION.
>> CORRECT. >> TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF DUNKIRK
-- >> AND HERE WE ARE RESCUING
PEOPLE FROM SANIBEL. WHICH IS ALSO CUT OFF.
IT'S VERY APROPOS. >> DO YOU NEED HELP?
>> YOU WANT TO GET ME OUT OF HERE?
>> GIVE US A MINUTE, WE WILL COME UP THERE.
>> WE FOLLOWED THE CRY FOR HELP ASHORE ON SANIBEL TO FIND A
GENTLEMAN EAGER TO ACCEPT THE BOAT LIFT, BUT UNABLE TO
CONVINCE HIS BETTER HALF. >> COME ON.
>> TO WHERE? >> FORT MYERS.
>> THE BRIDGE IS KNOCKED OUT. >> I'M NOT READY TO GO.
>> A CURSORY STROLL AROUND THIS PART OF SANIBEL REVEALS PLENTY
OF HAZARDS, LIKE THE HITS OF NATURAL GAS SPEWING FROM A
BROKEN TANK. BUT IN ONE OF THE MOST COVETED
ZIP CODES IN FLORIDA, THE CONSTRUCTION MOSTLY HELD UP,
WHICH IS IN STARK CONTRAST TO PINE ISLAND.
>> LOOK AT THIS ONE. ABSOLUTELY FLATTENED.
>> ESPECIALLY THE MOBILE HOMES OF THE WORKING CLASS AND
RETIREES LIVING IN ST. JAMES CITY.
>> HEY, MAN. ARE YOU OKAY?
IT'S YOUR DAUGHTER CALLING US. >> WHEN THEIR PHONE CUT OUT
EARLY IN THE STORM, THE GRANDCHILDREN CALLED THE CAJUN
NAVY AND PROJECT DYNAMO AND BEGGED THEM TO GO CHECK ON
THEM. >> I HEARD THEY WERE NOT GOING
TO DO ANYTHING AFTER THE BRIDGE CLOSED DOWN, BUT MY
GRANDDAUGHTERS ARE AN OHIO, AND SHE WAS CRYING HYSTERICAL WHEN
I TALKED TO HER. AMID THINKING I HAD GOTTEN
HURT. I SIT, NO.
THERE'S JUST NO SERVICE. >> THAT'S THE THING, THE
UNCERTAINTY BRINGS SO MUCH. >> I KNEW THAT.
THAT HAD ME MORE WORRIED THAN WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME.
BECAUSE I KNEW MY FAMILY WAS WORRIED.
>> IT'S TERRIBLE WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH.
IT'S A TERRIBLE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE DESTRUCTION IS UNBELIEVABLE.
THE SUFFERING IS GOING TO BE BAD.
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE DEAD RIGHT NOW, WE JUST HAVE NOT
FOUND HIM YET. SO THIS IS TRUE CARNAGE.
IT'S A WAR ZONE. >> THANK, YOU GENTLEMEN.
>> BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M VERY HAPPY WE CAN BE HERE TO
HELP. >> WHAT WAS ALSO INSPIRING WAS
PRIME AND THOSE GUYS HAD SO MUCH EMPATHY FOR THE WOMAN WHO
DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE. SHE WASN'T READY.
SHE MIGHT STILL BE IN SHOCK. SHE DOESN'T REALIZE HOW
UNTENABLE THE SITUATION IS ON SANIBEL FOR MORE THAN A FEW
DAYS. GIVE HER SPACE, MAYBE CHECK ON
HER THE NEXT DAY. IT SPEAKS TO THE HUMAN ELEMENT
OF THIS STORY, THE PSYCHOLOGY OF IT'LL.
AND ALSO, IN THESE DIVIDED TIMES, IT IS SO REFRESHING THAT
THEY HAVE THE EAT THOSE OF A FIRE DEPARTMENT HE SAYS.
YOU CALL 9-1-1, YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE.
THEY DON'T ASK YOU WHO YOU VOTED FOR OR HOW THE FIRE
STARTED. THEY JUST COME AND GET YOU.
SO SO MANY FOLKS WHO EITHER COULD NOT EVACUATE OR CHOSE NOT
TO, RIGHT NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO SCOLD THEM.
THEY ARE DEALING WITH IT AS BEST THEY CAN AS WELL.
POPPY, I'M TELLING YOU, THESE MOMENTS BRING OUT THE BEST IF
HUMAN NATURE SOMETIMES. IT IS SO GREAT TO SEE.
OF COURSE, THE WORST WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS IN THE COMING
DAYS, BUT IF YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED, PROJECT DYNAMO DOT
ORG OR CAJUN RESCUE DOT ORG, A FEW BOOKS EVEN WILL HELP THEM
GUESS UP THEIR BOATS. >> CAJUN NAVY IS ONE OF THE
CONFIDENCE OF THE STORMS, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO KATRINA.
IT'S NICE TO SEE THEM OUT THERE AGAIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, BILL.