US COAST GUARD HURRICANE KATRINA

BELLE CHASSE, La. (Sept. 3, 2005) - Coast Guard Petty Officers Roberto Lopez, left, and Chris Fowler, both from Air Station New Orleans, work throughout the night to locate and repair a suspected short in the electrical system of a HH-65 Dolphin helicopter. The Coast Guard worked 24 hours a day to conduct rescues and deliver food and water to stranded flood victims affected by Hurricane Katrina. More than 12,500 lives were saved by air resources. At the height of rescue operations, the Coast Guard had at least 62 aircraft, 30 cutters and 111 small boats assisting in rescue and recovery operations. Approximately one-third of the Coast Guard?s entire air fleet was deployed to the region to support rescue operations in the immediate aftermath of the storm. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Luke Pinneo.