The volunteer rescue organization Louisiana Cajun Navy said shots were fired at its boats during an attempted rescue in Houston.
In an initial post on its Facebook page, the group said that looters had tried to steal their boats.
Clyde and the other team members and teams are all safe. Looters decided to pose as people needing rescue and they attempted to overtake the boats and there were shots fired at the boats. I repeat they are all safe. Looters must have not wanted our boats in the water for rescues. Please feel free to share this post. We are currently on stand down pending a new strategic plan.
The ‘Cajun Navy’ has stood down after looters attempted to commander their boats and fired weapons at said boats. No injuries. #hounews pic.twitter.com/9E9GRcHOOa
— Texas Storm Chasers (@TxStormChasers) August 28, 2017
The original Facebook post was deleted, but a volunteer with the group posted a video on the group’s Facebook page saying he had heard reports that shots were fired at one of the boats.
“Just wanted to come on here and clear up the CNN short interview they did with us over there when we told them that shots had been fired at one of our boats,” the man said in a Facebook Live video. “Not exactly sure which boat it was or who it was or what group it was. It came over Zello [a push-to-talk walkie talkie service], and it was looters. They’re out there, they’re not wanting our boats around them, because of course, they’re looting.”
“No one got injured. I didn’t get shot,” the man continued. “I’m not sure if they actually shot at it or up in the air, but shots were fired.”
Louisiana Cajun Navy’s Clyde Cain told CNN that people had tried to steal a disabled boat as a one of his crews sought shelter from the rain.
Cain told HLN that the people who tried to steal the boat were “panicking.”
“We have boats being shot at if we’re not picking everybody up. We’re having to pull out for a minute,” Cain said. “We’re dropping an airboat right now to go rescue a couple of our boats that broke, and they’re kind of under attack,” he said.
Police in Houston battled looters throughout the city on Monday leading to dozens of arrests, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told ABC 13.
“We’ve already arrested a handful of looters. We’ve made it real clear to our community we’re going to do whatever it takes to protect their homes and their businesses,” Acevedo said.
The Cajun Navy has already made a significant impact in the rescue operations in Houston as it “pulled a lifeless elderly woman from floodwaters and resuscitated her,” The Times-Picayune reported.
Currently, Hurricane Harvey has claimed eight lives and thousands are displaced and seeking refuge.
This story has been updated.