Profile: San Diego man personally evacuates many New Orleans hurricane survivors

5 September 2005
NBC News: Today

MATT LAUER, co-host:

But first, the evacuation of hurricane survivors has spread far and wide this holiday weekend, with victims now being taken all the way to California, Arizona, and Utah. But one of the rescue operations stands out from all the rest; a San Diego man is responsible for rescuing 80 people from the disaster. NBC's George Lewis explains.

GEORGE LEWIS reporting:

Safe in San Diego; 80 victims of Hurricane Katrina, many in tears, checking out their new surroundings after getting off an evacuation flight from Louisiana. They're the first of about 500 hurricane evacuees expected in California. The mission of mercy organized and paid for by oilman David Perez, who said he was angry and frustrated by what he saw on TV. All those cries for help, and no immediate response from the federal government.

Mr. DAVID PEREZ: This is not a comfortable situation. These people have gone through a lot. Pure hell. Pure hell.

LEWIS: With the help of local volunteers...

Unidentified Man: People helping people.

LEWIS: ...Perez began rounding up relief supplies, basic stuff like food and water, to send to Louisiana. He went there and invited hurricane victims to return with him to California.

Mr. PEREZ: I spent three hours in New Orleans yesterday in a helicopter, and it was--it was devastating. My heart, my heart. I mean, I'm lost for words at this point. All I know is we need go to out there and bring more people back.

LEWIS: Tara Holier, who owns a jet charter company, pitched in to find planes for the airlift.

Ms. TARA HOLIER: I think that the government should have stepped in, the military should have stepped in.

LEWIS: On the tarmac at San Diego, Sherry Triglia and her daughter, Sarah, were waiting for Sherry's sister, Shelley.

Ms. SHERRY TRIGLIA: This this is awesome. If this wasn't going on, I don't think I'd be getting my sister right now.

LEWIS: Finally, Shelley came off the plane with her dachshund, Oscar, in tow, to an emotional reunion with her sister.

The organizers say they hope this is just the beginning. They envision a huge grassroots airlift to get supplies into the devastated area and hurricane victims back out to safer ground.

Perez hasn't said what he's spent on the airlift so far.

Mr. PEREZ: God has blessed me to earn a living that allows me to out and help people like this.

LEWIS: And these people feel blessed to have found a guy like him. For TODAY, George Lewis, NBC News, San Diego.

LAUER: Basically just started talking to people he met in shelters and said, `Do you know--have you ever been to San Diego? Would you like to try it?' And these people, with little else to stay for or go back to, took a leap of faith. And now they're going to set up roots there.

NATALIE MORALES, co-host:

What a true hero, though. If only there were many more people like him out there.

ALEXIS GLICK reporting:

So incredibly touching.

LAUER: Yeah. It's nice.

CHRIS CIMINO reporting:

The power of one. That's--that's the...

LAUER: Exactly. Exactly.

GLICK: That is exactly right.

CIMINO: Everybody has an impact.