Coast Guard, Army Helicopters Pulling Survivors From Rooftops

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Hundreds of people remain stranded on rooftops in New Orleans as rescuers pick up as many Hurricane Katrina survivors as they can. A Coast Guard helicopter has been plucking people one by one from the tops of homes.

Babies and senior citizens are among the evacuees being lifted in a basket to the chopper overhead. Most escaped with only the clothes they were wearing, and some were without shoes. About 20 boats were in that area to move evacuees to safety.

Lifelong New Orleans resident Quentina Green was rescued by boat with her husband and four children. She said they didn’t leave their home before the storm hit because the family didn’t have the money to evacuate.

Her husband, Thomas Green, said they lost everything. Now, he says, they’ll “start from scratch, start all over, that’s all we can do.”

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-30-05 1526EDT