NEW ORLEANS — Four elderly people trapped in a coastal Louisiana community that was cut off from rising water from Hurricane Barry have been rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.
Another eight people who were also trapped on Isle de Jean Charles in Terrebonne Parish had to be rescued by boat.
The Coast Guard shared video of one of those rescues - a 77-year-old man who had to be hoisted to safety after getting trapped in his home in four feet of water.
Terrebonne Parish leaders called a voluntary evacuation order Friday for the low-lying areas, including Isle de Jean Charles.
Isle de Jean Charles is a narrow stretch of land near the southern coast of Terrebonne Parish about 45 minutes from Houma, Louisiana. The Coast Guard says the only road into the community, Island Road, is impassible due to rising waters.
The storm threatening the Louisiana coast had briefly strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane before quickly deteriorating back into a tropical storm.
---
Download the FREE WWL-TV News app now in the iTunes store or on Google Play for tropical weather updates through hurricane season.