“I never dreamed I’d do something like this, but here I am; and I loved it,” explains Loretta Chambers, of the Freestone Community, about her five-day experience working as a dispatcher with the Cajun Navy during Hurricane Harvey rescue in South Texas.

A hairstylist and salon owner, Mrs. Chambers who lost everything and got to buy all new salon furniture for her business got involved because she saw a post on Facebook from a family pleading for help.

Mrs. Chambers couldn’t stand the thought of them not getting help, so she reached out to the Cajun Navy for assistance; and that’s where it all began.

She was asked to join the rescue efforts, serving as a dispatcher, and was put in charge of a crew whose members were actually from the Fairfield, Jewett, and Marquez areas.

Her crew included Austin Garcia, Taylor Cupit, Jason Schmidt, Keith Tucker, Joe Brent, Marc Ivey, Joey Rivera, Hector Rivera, Blayne Glatter, Dustin Burkhalter, Chase Chap, and Michael Peterson.

She even helped with other crews as needed. “There were people on scene and serving as dispatchers from all over the world!”

“The guys did all of the work while putting their lives at risk to save others,” she says.

“They were all over. They went to Katy, Kingwood, Vidor, Orange, the Woodlands, and others.”

Mrs. Chambers explains that she was on her cell phone 24/7 with very little sleep for the full five days.

“It got pretty intense sometimes,” she says. “We had to deal with people calling infake reports, navigating the crews through flooded streets with strong water currents, find them food and places to sleep. They were even shot at by looters at one point.”

“These guys worked hard, rescuing so many people, including about 122 patients from a flooded nursing home,” she says with pride.

“Now that the rescue is over, we need to concentrate on helping these people survive,” Mrs. Chambers explains. “They are in great need of food, tents, clothes, shovels, pillows and blankets, gas cans, bug spray, and so much more.”

If you would like to help, you can visit the Cajun Navy’s Facebook page to see what the needs are and how you can assist.

“I’m still considered a dispatcher with them, and plan to help whenever I’m able,” Mrs. Chambers concludes.