Posted on 09/03/2005 5:25:24 PM PDT by naturalman1975
BRISBANE man Bud Hopes was lauded as a hero for helping save dozens of tourists as the supposed safe haven of the city's Superdome deteriorated into a hell-hole.
"I would have to say that Bud is solely responsible for our evacuation," Sydney woman Vanessa Cullington, 22, told The Sunday Mail from a bus carrying 10 Aussies to safety in Dallas. "I dread to think what would have happened if we hadn't got out. It's so great to be free."
Food and water were almost non-existent for the 25,000 people inside the stiflingly hot building which was filled with the stench of human waste.
Violent gangs stalked the tourists and the women were threatened with rape as the stadium became a human jungle.
"Bud took control. He was calm and collected and kept it together the whole time," Ms Cullington said.
"He took so much on and never let it show. He kept his sense of humour right through and kept us laughing and kept us going."
Mr Hopes, 32, from Kangaroo Point, said: "That was the worst place in the universe.
"Ninety-eight percent 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 in, they brought knives. Soldiers were shot in there."
Realising that foreigners were being targeted, Mr Hopes and fellow Aussies gathered other tourists into one part of the building.
"There were 65 of us altogether so we were able to look after each other, especially the girls who were being grabbed and threatened. They were so brave," said Mr Hopes, a talent scout on a working holiday.
They organised escorts for women going for food or to the toilet, and rosters were set up with people keeping guard while others slept.
"We sat through the night just watching each other, not knowing if we would be alive in the morning," Mr Hopes said.
John McNeil, 20, from Coorparoo in Brisbane, said it was "the scariest five days of my life".
The worst point came after two days when soldiers told them the power was failing and there was only 10 minutes' worth of gas left in the generator.
"I looked at Bud and said, 'That will be the end of us'," Mr McNeil said.
"The gangs had already eyed us off. If the lights had gone out we would have been in deep trouble.
"We were sitting there praying for a miracle and the lights stayed on."
Mr Hopes said the Australians owed their lives to a National Guard sergeant who broke the rules to get the tourists out of the dome, evacuating them to a medical centre with 60 other people.
As the bus carrying the Australians crossed the Louisiana-Texas border yesterday, spirits were high.
"We've had hotdogs and chips and everyone is just laughing their heads off," said Mr Hopes.
But the desperate wait continued yesterday for relatives of Brisbane women Fiona Seidel and her sister-in-law Katie Maclean.
"We are worried sick," said Fiona's father, Ray Seidel, of Wavell Heights.
A phone call in the middle of the night had given the family some hope. Fiona's husband Andrew Glendenning was called by a New Orleans police officer at 3am yesterday to say he had seen the pair get on a bus out of the city.
The Federal Government said at least 24 Australians were taken out of New Orleans yesterday by bus to the neighbouring state of Texas but about 50 Aussies remained stranded in the city.
It's an embarrassment.
I am speechless and so ashamed that such a thing could happen to guests in our country. Please, to all the victims of these hideous, vicious thugs, please accept our deepest apologies.
bump
I remember when those people were first going into the Dome. I was thinking if they knew what they were going to face. It is interesting how a group of people can exercise a little bit of self discipline and survive under difficult circumstances.
How could George Bush do this!?!
"human jungle"
Imagine an American outlet using that analogy... or reporting on the reality of the Superdome for that matter.
A city must be a horrible place to be in the event of a natural disaster.
I'm sorry that Dubya didn't call in the Apaches to give the supply copters close air support, and to hell with his critics.
I mean the oath does state 'enemies, both foreign and domestic' after all, so...
When these stories filter out internationally, the tourism industry of New Orleans will be permanently destroyed.
Depends on the city, after and during 9/11 everyone was trying to help each other. I can't say the same for New Orleans. In Gulfport, they are already cleaning up.
This whole lawless Superdome thing puzzles me. WHO was supposed to be in charge of security and organization? Where was the NO Police Chief and the Mayor? And why would the NG (with M-16s) have trouble keeping order?
Everyone is blaming Bush, well, who is to blame for the Horrordome?
Anyone needing more reasons for tearing down the welfare system, I cannot imagine not using this event. People so dependent on someone doing something for them that they are immobilized in the face of death, cannot stop complaining about their treatment afterwards. Pshaw! I have never seen the like since I moved away from Bedford-Styvescent in 1972.
I am so glad that soldier evacuated these people....they were natural targets of the Superdome "element". Luckily, common sense defeated political correctness and this group of folks was moved to a safer place.
There is hope.
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