The U.S. Coast Guard restored full maritime radio communications in the Venice and Port Sulphur areas of Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina by using a Disaster Recovery System portable antenna tower, enabling search and rescue operations to continue in the devastated region. "The tower was designed as a critical component of the Rescue 21 command and control system to provide emergency communications following a crisis," said Capt. Robert Mobley, Rescue 21 project manager. The Coast Guard received a transmission from the motor vessel Douglas within days of deploying the system after the vessel struck an object in the southern portion of the Mississippi River. The clear communications transmitted via the system allowed the Coast Guard to respond to the vessel’s emergency.
