Cajun Navy Rescues Youth Baseball Team in Mississippi Floods

When Tropical Storm Arthur turned Mississippi's Biloxi River into a raging current, volunteers with Cajun Navy 2016 jumped into action to save stranded families and a kayaker fighting for his life.

The volunteer group worked alongside Gulfport Fire Department for several days, pulling residents and their pets from rising floodwaters. Among those rescued were members of The Pickles, a youth baseball team from Fort Worth, Texas, who traveled to the region for a World Series tournament only to find themselves trapped by the storm.

But the most dramatic rescue came when volunteers spotted a kayaker pinned against an elevated home by swift currents. His kayak was stuck, and he couldn't break free.

Cajun Navy 2016 founder Jon Bridgers Sr. and Gulfport firefighters coordinated a careful rescue operation using multiple boats. When rescuers pulled the kayaker toward safety, his kayak flipped over in the dangerous current.

Vice President Robert Pearson operated a support boat while Bridgers and firefighters worked together to pull the man into calmer water. They brought him aboard a Gator-Tail Rescue boat, shaken but uninjured.

"The kayaker was pinned in a dangerous current against a house, and it was a very tense situation," Bridgers said. "By the grace of God, everyone worked together, and we were able to bring him to safety."

Why This Inspires

The Cajun Navy 2016 started as a grassroots volunteer network during Hurricane Katrina and has since responded to disasters across the South. These aren't professional rescuers with fancy government funding. They're everyday people who own boats and choose to help their neighbors when disaster strikes.

The partnership between volunteers and professional firefighters shows what communities can accomplish when they work together. Bridgers praised the Gulfport Fire Department's courage and professionalism under extreme conditions.

From youth baseball players to solo kayakers, every life mattered equally to these rescuers who spent days navigating treacherous waters to bring people home safely.