ZODIAC G470's ASSISTING IN BURMA RELIEF EFFORTS
Zodiac inflatable boats are being used to assist with the recovery and stabilization efforts in Burma following Cyclone Nargis, which struck the region May 2, 2008.


/RSS and Content Syndication News Articles/ - ANNAPOLIS, MD - June 05, 2008 - Zodiac of North America, Inc. learned today that eleven of their G470 inflatable boats sold to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were donated to non-governmental organizations assisting with relief efforts in Burma following the devastating cyclone that struck the country on May 2, 2008. Weighing only 176 pounds, Zodiac G470's are ideal boats for the situation in Burma. Fully inflatable, with a 10-person carrying capacity and a low freeboard, the G470's are easily transportable and stable when recovering personnel from the water.

Many homes in the Irrawaddy River Delta were destroyed by the 12-foot tidal wave that swept away homes in low-lying villages. In the city of Bogale alone, it's estimated that 190,000 residents were left homeless. Satellite images from NASA showed virtually the entire coastal plain of the country underwater following the storm.

World Vision, one of the few aid agencies allowed inside Burma, describes tragic scenes of fields strewn with bodies and desperate survivors starving and homeless. Though the size of the tragedy is enormous, the Zodiacs provided by USAID can help find the missing, deliver food, water, and sheltering devices, deliver essential medical supplies, transport the injured, and contribute to stabilizing the areas hardest hit.

"It's rewarding to see boat orders that we filled have a global reach and serve those in need," J.J. Marie, President of Zodiac commented. "We responded directly to Isabel, Katrina, Rita, and other U.S. disasters, so we know first hand the relief a victim feels as soon as they see a Zodiac coming their way."

After a month-long response to Katrina, Zodiac developed the Zodiac ARC . The ARC, Advanced Rescue Cache, is a QuadCon loaded with four Zodiac Emergency Rescue Boats, five PumpJet outboards, survival suits for operators, and a generator that can be pre-stagged ahead of a storm so rescue and relief efforts can begin sooner. "Road damage and debris slows access to disaster areas. With pre-staged ARCs, operators can be air-dropped to ARC locations, access the gear and begin rescue missions," Todd Salus, Director of Zodiac MilPro Operations, explained.

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