ARCO Atlantic-West James Vass accepts the AFRAS Silver Award for Auxiliarist Toby Ducote.

The Association For the Rescue At Sea (AFRAS) was pleased to award Toby A. Ducote, U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary the 2006 AFRAS Silver Medal for his willingness to assist those in need following hurricane Katrina.

U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist Toby Ducote was unable to contact anyone within the Coast Guard Auxiliary due to loss of communications following the devastation of hurricane Katrina.  He drove to New Orleans with his father’s flatboat and met up with local responders to assist in the rescue and recovery of thousands of New Orleans evacuees.

Navigating his flatboat through waterways filled with contamination and hazardous debris Mr. Ducote worked over 100 hours in 8 days rescuing stranded victims from their flooded homes and transporting them to safety.

Auxiliary member Ducote displayed extreme vigilance and judgment as he focused on the key mission of saving lives and assisting numerous persons in distress and confusion.  This, in spite of the fact that he was constantly in danger as areas within the city of New Orleans were plagued with violence that randomly threatened first responders attempting to rescue citizens trapped inside and on the roofs of flooded homes.

Vice Admiral Vivien Crea, Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard congratulates the awardees

After working tirelessly by himself for the first five days, the National Guard recognized the extreme dedication and effectiveness of Auxiliarist Ducote’s operation and agreed to provide protection for his boat and assist him in rescue activities for the next three days.

The National Guard Commander came to the conclusion after three days of escorted rescues that the Auxiliarist and the National Guard soldier were in too much danger to continue the operation and stopped the mission.

This volunteer USCG Auxiliarist put himself at unusual risk to save 250 individuals from dangerous flood waters within several downtown areas of New Orleans.  These survivors owe their accelerated evacuation, and in somecases, their lives, to Auxiliary Ducote’s bravery and initiative to respond even when not on duty.

Through these actions, Toby Ducote brings great credit upon himself and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Unfortunately, Mr. Ducote was unable to attend the ceremony due to prior commitments with his work. District Commodore James Vass, USCG Auxiliary was pleased to accept the award on behalf of Auxiliarist Ducote.