DORIAN RELIEF EFFORTS IN BAHAMAS UPDATE: 9-9-19

PERFECTLY INSANE
* A buoy moored off the coast of Newfoundland measured a maximum wave height of 30.7 meters, or 100.7 feet yesterday in DORIAN. If verified, that matches the highest wave recorded during the Perfect Storm in October, 1991.

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9-9-19
“Extraction”- There’s a little island down here that us Carolinians have been coming to for over 200 years. A little town called Hope Town. Yesterday I witnessed the US take a step toward helping out this little island and the rest of the Bahamas. At noon, 30 plus SAR personnel from USA-1 deployed. 5 hours later they had finished clearing Elbow Cay and were extracted in front of “Watermark”. I was able to keep them in the AC for a few minutes before they loaded up thanks to Sandra And Dan Moore and their incredible house. “Zero Missing/Zero Dead!” Proud to be an American and really proud to be here in Hope Town lending a hand! #southeastrescueandrelief @southeast_rescue_and_relief #hopetown @hope4hopetown @patrickdavismusic #hope4hopetown #usa #usa-1SAR #search and Rescue.

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9-9-19
Repost. Please circulate.

Cedar Harbour, Abaco is the first of 5 settlements that make up Little Abaco. Once heading north on the S. C. Bootle highway Cedar Harbour is next settlement after coming out of Cooper’s Town and first settlement after crossing the now washed away bridge.

I spoke with Pastor Marvin Mills pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church the only church in Cedar Harbour, Abaco. You may not be aware but Cedar Harbour is the first settlement of Little Abaco and they have lost their means of transportation to recieve relief items as the bridge that links Little Abaco to Great Abaco has been washed away. Quite a number of persons from this small settlement have evacuated but some elderly persons and majority of the men have remained behind to ensure the safety of their homes and the settlement. There at present they have no power, the water has been restored as of September 8th, their very low on fuel and food is slowly running out. 90% of the community rely heavily on the sea as a means of living but now it has turned into a means of survival hence this community is requesting your assistance. They asked if by any means you can get 10 portable generators and fuel to them, it would be a great help. They can go out and fish for food and then store up with use of generators to run their freezers. The fuel will go to fuel the generators and small boats and keep in mind this community has the task of providing water transport for the four other settlements of Little Abaco due to the bridge being washed away. Your assistance would be much appreciated and you can contact
Paul Albury 477-1341 or Pastor Marvin Mills 577-5253 to make arrangements.

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DAY 6 – NOT SO FUNNY TODAY !!
FLIGHT TODAY N74932
MONDAY, September 9, 2019
“What you think was funny today, may not be so funny tomorrow.” It’s one of those sayings I remember from a long time ago. TODAY, I LIVED IT !! More on that later.
My Co-pilot John could not go with me today. John, did you ever pick the right day to not go my friend. Thank your lucky stars.
Since Kim was back home for a couple of days, she decided it would be a good idea to fly with me today, just like the old days, and see all of the relief efforts herself. Kim realizes now that she picked the wrong day to fly with me. And now, that I am back at home, luckily, I know that I sure picked the wrong day to fly with me.
During all of our trips to Treasure Cay, John and I always ask the people there specifically what they would like and what they need. One of the officials on the ground in Treasure asked me if we could ever bring in Hot Food. Like a big plate of Ribs he said. So last night, I mention this to Kim and unfortunately, since our Treasure Cay run was an early morning take off, none of the Rib places are open. So Kim took it upon herself to go to the late night grocery store, and made huge platters of ribs, with sauce and seasoning. She cooked it all in a Crock Pot that slowly cooked all night. She added a lot of Macaroni and cheese, and a few other items.
Early this morning, she packaged up the whole thing in trays, and by the time we landed in Treasure, the food was still hot.! They loved it !! Greatly appreciated by all.
As soon as we landed, I knew things were not right at Treasure Cay airport any more. And believe me, I know about these things. In our previous lives as Corporate Jet pilots, Kim and I had the opportunity, I guess you could call it that, to fly to many 2ndand 3rdworld countries. Perhaps opportunity is not the right word. We HAD to fly there for a client. It was our job.
Without going into great detail, here are just a few of the many delightful events that happened to us during those crazy flying days.
Lets start off with a good one.
Landing in Niamey Niger, 4:00 am, in the middle of a military coup. Hey, nobody called us on the radio to let us know shit was happening. After deciding not to kill us, or sell our jet, my speaking French helped save our lives. This is the city and country where last year our Brave Green Berets were ambushed and killed.
Moscow, Russia, you come out to the airport and the KGB has your plane surrounded by soldiers with AK’s. Maybe they should consider an assault weapons ban I thought. You hope it’s the KGB because if it’s not, it’s the Russian Mob and that’s even worse. Detained again, can’t leave the country. Red Square was nice.
Luanda Angola. Oh , Luanda. It was a bad time there, but was there ever really a good time there. I don’t think so. Land mines, got detained, lost our passengers, blah blah blah. Sleeping on the floor in rooms without glass in the windows so when the shooting starts you’re below the projectile level and you won’t get glass all over the place. But they had a nice beach, really.
Algeria, landing in a city that had not seen a U.S. airplane in many years. That was stupid. But get this, we landed there flying an Israeli made corporate jet. Really dumb. When they asked us what kind of plane it was….. we lied. Luckily it was the last day of Ramadan so they were all really hungry so they let us go. Not making this up !!
The list goes on and on and on.. Those were just some quick highlights.
Then there was Treasure Cay, today. As we rolled of the runway and onto the ramp area, I swear I could feel the tension before we even got out of the plane. By now, almost all of the Bahamians had been evacuated by air or sea. The majority of those that still remained were Haitian. You know what Haitians are? They are people. Real people, just like Bahamians, Americans, Chinese, and any other Nationality or color or race, etc.. Their suffering is as real as any. Perhaps more so. I have been to Haiti, I have had clients from Haiti. Hurricane Dorian did not pick and choose her preferred areas of destruction by race, color or nationality. It was an equal opportunity destroyer. A destroyer of lives, livelihoods, homes, families, towns and villages. It created areas of total devastation for everyone.
As we parked the plane, I went to the back and dropped the air stair door. Immediately, I could see a group of people that are always lined up on the side of the ramp, start walking towards the plane. I was looking hard for 2 media guys that were suppose to fly back with us to Florida. A news reporter for a major east coast publication, and his partner the photographer. These guys had been on the ground for about 4-5 days covering the hardest hit areas, Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay. They were ready to go home.
Our usual airport official met our plane as he always does. I mention to him, that we have room for another 4 people, but they need to have papers, Passport and current Visas for U.S. He sends someone into the crowd which is by now getting closer and closer to our plane. I am still off loading all of our relief supplies and putting them on the ramp next to the plane. I spot our 2 media guys, and quickly check their passports. One is American, and the other Italian. Both are good to go with documents. By now, one of the soldiers sees that things could get a bit sketchy with the ever growing group getting now very close to our plane. The soldier moves in to protect us from the group. Not a mob by any means, just a bunch of people that are now uncomfortably close to us.
Someone working with the airport official brings up 4 people to the front of the line. As each one of them comes up, I ask for their passport and visa. I hold it up to their face, then look at the visa and confirm expiration date, and if all is OK, they can walk past me to the plane. I did this procedure for all 6 of the passengers. The News guys witnessed me doing this. Kim saw me doing this. The airport official saw me doing this, and the soldier watched me closely doing this. The whole group of people was now getting a bit agitated as was the soldier with them. He started shouting out orders to move back. A big American guy, a boater, tried hard to get aboard our plane but we had no seats left. I figured he could find a seat on another plane much easier than these four poor Haitians.
I assume you all know that saying, “No good Deed Goes Unpunished” this would be the second saying of the day that would come close to destroying my life as well as Kim’s.
After verifying all of the documents we loaded the plane with passengers and baggage. We did have a little of in and out in the back area with passengers as we shuffled baggage around a bit near the rear end of the plane. When finished, we fired up the engines and taxied out for a normal everyday Evac from Treasure Cay.
Upon arrival at Ft. Lauderdale Executive airport, it was time to taxi to our happiest place on earth, CUSTOMS. The same place where we had that episode with Mr. Happy Officer, just a day or so before. As we entered the building, to help speed things up, I assisted each passenger on the machine to get through quickly. First mine, then Kim’s and then the American Reporter, the Italian photographer, and then the Haitian ladies, and then the last passenger was a young Haitian man. I asked him for his passport and he said he didn’t have it. WHAT DID YOU SAY? He said he had it in a small bag next to him and when he shuffled in and out during the baggage arranging, he must have put it on the ramp and forgot it. Just think for one second how I felt at that very moment. This Haitian now has NO DOCUMENTS !! Do you happen to remember that little joke I put at the end of my last report? I do !! It is now engraved in my brain. God must not have thought it was funny, so he is getting back at me. The door opens, and who is there? Officer Happy !! He calls me into the room. I am wondering why. To my complete and utter amazement this officer starts a very nice and soft spoken APOLOGY to me for the events that occurred at our last reunion. He said he was too hard on us, and really did not understand the things we and these people are going through, etc. etc.. Oh my God. He is apologizing and I am about to give him some really really bad news. Even worse news for me !!
I tried to time it right, but really there is no good time for this announcement, so I might as well get it over. “Sir, you’re not going to believe this, but the last passenger there, he accidentally left his bag, containing his Passport / Visa on the ramp next to the plane, blah blah blah…..And yep, there is no calling over there to Treasure, no phones. I truly believed our passenger. He seemed like such a nice soft spoken and gentle man.
Unfortunately, I can not go into details about what happened due to legal reasons. We later learned that there was NO BAG. He made that up. He never ever had a visa and was never in the U.S. He did have a picture on his phone of his Passport, but no visa. He got detained, as did Kim and I and our plane. A group of special investigators were brought in from another city. I spent quality time with 2 of them, while the passenger spent time with another one. We think what happened is that he was slipped a passport from someone in the crowd standing behind him. When I checked it, it was a good passport and Visa. Sorry but matching pics is not that easy. As he boarded the plane, we think he passed that passport back to his accomplice. By now the crowd was very close to our plane.
The summary of this very unpleasant event is as follows; Hours of waiting and interrogations, we risked the loss of our plane, my pilots license, and convictions of all sorts.
The Special Officers sent, after their long interview with me, finally believed that I was not involved in a human smuggling operation, nor that I was charging these evacuees, nor that I was working with any Bahamians in any such operation. Still, the damage was done. During my time in that room, others were running very thorough background checks on me. I’ve had many many of these throughout my life due to the nature of our jet business and yacht business. Although you know you have done nothing wrong, you still have that fear that they will find something no matter how small.
But honestly, would anyone think that if you are operating a human smuggling operation that you would land at an airport with a customs office, and then voluntarily taxi over to their ramp?
It would be like if you were smuggling cocaine on your plane, and you land at an airport with a DEA Office that trains dogs for sniffing drugs, and then taxi over to their building to park your plane. Really?
Kim and I are glad its over, but our plane, and probably my passport, now have those little side notes on the computer screen. I would like to make it clear that the agents were professional, courteous and most of all, after believing my innocence, understanding that while we were operating under a human relief effort, that we were taken advantage of. For that, I accept the blame 100%. The guy did put one over on us.
Now, here is a question for all of you who are reading this. We find out that this guy has been in the Bahamas for 21 plus years, married to a Bahamian woman, and like everyone there, lost everything they ever had in life. Kim asked him where his wife was. He said that he and his wife had gone to the Government dock to catch a boat over to Nassau. Upon arrival, he stated that they were only taking women and children. So he was refused boarding. This guy was just trying to figure a way, anyway to get out of what is a deplorable area of conditions. If this was you, would you do anything at all to try and get out of that area? To try to find a better place, a safe place, one with power and water, and hope to be able to rebuild some type of future for your family? Would you? Would I?
The word of our plight started spreading quickly. It was only minutes upon our arrival back to Banyan that I was asked, “Are you done flying these rescue / relief flights?” My response,
“ I need to top off the tanks. I’m flying in 30 minutes to Freeport to drop off supplies and pick up people. They need our help”
And we did just that. Kim and I departed for Freeport with a plane load of relief supplies.
When we got there, we already had pre-arranged to pick up some Bahamians that were friends of our good buddy Howard. I now check each and every passport twice. Once before boarding, and then after they are in the plane I shut the door, and ask everyone to hold up their passports / visas. I take out my phone and take a photo of them holding their documents while in the plane with the door closed.
You can only imagine how nervous we were going back into that Customs building with four Bahamians. All went well.
I want everyone to understand that Kim and I hold no ill will towards that passenger. On the contrary, if there was something we could have done to help in his efforts to get somewhere like Nassau legally, we would have helped him. It did not matter that he was Haitian. What if he had been a Bahamian? He is a human being like all of us with a family, with dreams, many of which have just been shattered by Dorian. We wish him and his wife the best of luck. Unfortunately, we do not know what happened to him.
See you tomorrow. I hope.

—– 9-9-19
No Name – We still have pigs! Lots of damage to the building, Reggie has two men staying on the property watching over it. Kevin, Ryan and crew were one of the first boats to stop in, they help one of the gentlemen with a wound on his foot and gave them fresh water. If you are in the area delivering supplies please stop by, these gentlemen said they could use some clothes and toiletries items, also please bring fresh water for the pigs.

—– 9-9-19

From Fr. Keith Cartwright

In order to dispel rumours and untruths, My Priest, who just got back from Marsh Habour 6 am this morning and has been on the ground every day since from the day after storm departed gave our Church a full report on the situation in Marsh Harbour and Grand Bahama. In Marsh Harbour he said that with the exception of a few souls who are still refusing to leave what little they have, the entire affected areas have been completely evacuated. There is nothing left he said. The stench is unbearable. There are countless medical personnel there doing an excellent job. There is a clean up team on the way from the Netherlands who’s function is uncovering, containment & sanitizing of dead bodies and should be there now on the ground. There are plenty dead and unaccounted for still under debris and swept out to sea. The bodies they have recovered so far are stored in large constructed coolers ran by generators. The clinic and one of the government buildings left standing have been cleaned and sanitized. They are in the process of doing the same to the building that was taken over by the Haitians. He said that the clinic and the two governments buildings were the only structures not damage which was a testament to the builder (I forgot his name) who passed away last year. Also, the uproar about the Bahamasair charging $75 was partly true. He was present at the airport when the flight came in. It was the very first flight and was a regular scheduled flight for Bahamasair. Person had previously purchase tickets prior to the storm and before consulting with the powers that be, made the decision to charge that fee. My Priest intervened immediately and told them that will not be happening. He got on the phone with the Prime Minister himself and explained what was going on. The Prime Minister then got in contact with the man in charge and was instructed to let that be the first & last flight they charged those people as Bahamasair was the People”s airline etc. etc. Every flight after was completely free and they went above and beyond getting the people out. There was looting and unrest and order has now been restored. As for freeport, there is still a lot of flooding and damage although not to the degree of Abaco. He said there are plenty dead and unaccounted for there as well. He told us stories of survivors who watched loved ones die and got swept away right before them. My head is still spinning from the horrors and grief that I can’t begin to tell you all everything but this is what I recalled.

—— 9-9-19
FORCED OFF – Hundreds of Bahamians waited for hours with the documents they were told they needed to leave their storm-ravaged homes and get on board a ferry headed to Port Everglades. Once the ferry was about to take off, they were forced off the vessel if they did not have a U.S. visa.

—- 9-8-19
There are 50 rescue dogs from the Bahamas in Laurel’s tender garage right now. Here is a first look at some of them. They have been through so much after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, and as you would imagine, we are all taking every opportunity to love on them as much as possible. When you hear “rescue” or “stray” it’s sometimes hard to picture them as loving, loyal pets – but TRUST me these dogs are the goodest boys and girls, we all wish we could adopt all of them. A lot of work and paperwork went into this – so grateful to everyone mostly Roy Stephanie & Wikus Botes and our incredible owner for offering his crew and yacht to help. If anyone reading this is interested in adopting them – they are going straight to an incredible rescue ranch Big Dog Ranch Rescue ( https://bdrr.org/applications/ ) Humane Society Of Grand Bahama your pups are being taken care of – and we will be visiting them at Big Dog until they find their homes hopefully soon! – Lots of love, the Laurel Crew

More of my PhoDography here: https://instagram.com/dogsbyday?igshid=c2lraqnq8uvm

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Plz repost to notify those seeking their children, nieces, nephews or grandchildren.

Many of my fans, friends and social media family have been asking me about the children who have been displaced and why they have not posted or circulated a list of names yet.

I spoke to a Ranfurly Home representative (in Nassau) regarding the children. They can not release a list of children’s names for protective reasons (before you react think about the reasoning first)!!!!

Although this is a natural disaster we must remember that there are still sick people in this world. For the protective reason, the children’s names can not be released to the public just so, as it would enable any and everyone to pop up and claim a child is theirs or related to them. You wouldn’t want your child to end up into the wrong hands! Would you??

The Ranfurly Home, however, did confirm that they received 56 displaced children yesterday.

My suggestion is that if you are missing a child, niece, nephew or grandchild. Please go there in person, with the information of the child. It might be a process but we have to follow the steps. Also, contact social services 242-397-8600 as children were also sent to the clinics based on what I’ve been told. Patience is key! Love you all… Stay strong!!!