"Members of Missouri's state agencies with public safety responsibilities are working in harsh, flooded, and unhealthy post-Hurricane Katrina conditions to help in rescue operations," Blunt said. "I am grateful our Water Patrol team has returned home safely and I commend them for their good work.

Ten members of the Water Patrol returned home after being in Louisiana since last Friday. The team focused on assisting evacuees to American Red Cross stations where they received food, water, shelter and medical attention. For those residents unwilling to leave, the Water Patrol officers delivered food and water and notified the National Guard that the house was still occupied.

Director of Public Safety Mark James and Commissioner of Water Patrol Colonel Rad Talburt held a debriefing with Captain Bill Cox, who supervised the Water Patrol operations at New Orleans. Captain Cox stated the group of ten officers helped evacuate between 200 and 250 residents from New Orleans. The Water Patrol officers worked from daylight until dark and then cleaned their equipment in preparation to start again the next morning.

Colonel Talburt says he is proud of the job the officers have accomplished and is glad they have returned to Missouri without any incidents.