Posted on 09/03/2005 12:41:29 AM PDT by naturalman1975
THE family of a Queensland couple stranded in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans and forced to sleep under a bridge for the past week said they have been rescued no thanks to the Australian Government.
While Australian diplomats tried unsuccessfully to cut through American red tape to gain entry to the devastated region, a Channel 7 journalist did manage to find Tim and Joanne Miller and pluck them to safety.
The couple from Rockhampton were holidaying in Miami when Hurricane Katrina hit and were told to go to New Orleans to avoid the path of the storm.
They were stranded for five days in the flooded city, which is trying to deal with gangs of armed looters.
The pair were forced to sleep under a bridge in the warehouse district and faced violent and disturbing scenes similar to those in a third world country.
Mr and Mrs Miller's only link to the outside world was a public phone box they used each day to call their two daughters, Tamara and Kelly-Rae, in Australia.
After a week of uncertainty, Tamara, 27, finally received the news she had been waiting for.
"We received an email that he (journalist Mike Amor) has gotten them out. It's great, great news but no thanks to the Australian Government," Ms Miller said today.
"Obviously we now know who really does have the power these days. It's definitely not the Australian Government, it's the press."
Ms Miller said she was contacted by Seven asking them for her parents' location so they could do an interview.
"I wouldn't tell them unless they guaranteed to help," she said.
Mr and Mrs Miller are now said to be in good health despite their ordeal and would make their way back to Australia as soon as possible.
"Mum and dad called to say they were safe, out of New Orleans, but they haven't told us where they are going or anything as of yet," Ms Miller said.
Ms Miller also confirmed another Australian couple, identified as Garry and Cynthia Jones, were also driven out of the city by the Seven news crew.
Ms Miller decided to take her story to the media after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) said the Australian Government could do little to get to her parents because consular officials were refused entry to the area.
"I thought I have to go to the media and get their faces out there," Ms Miller said.
"I just thought as long as their faces are out there and the public know the Australian Government isn't doing anything then something will happen."
Ms Miller said she hoped to hear from her parents again tonight to get more details about their movements.
Told to leave Miami and go to New Orleans to avoid the hurricane---what lousy advice!
Wanna avoid a hurricane? Next time, try, say...Minneapolis! Or, Boise.
the warehouse district did not get much water. so these aussies witnessed the chaos at the convention center.
good news is their safe.
ROFLOL! So True! So true!
It's possible that the Australian Consulate couldn't enter the area because there was a mandatory evacuation order.
It seems that there was the problem of unsafe passage for everyone except the press. Amazing that the press could get into the area.
Death Valley ought to work nicely.
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