Hurricane survivor's family sure he is safe

A New Zealand survivor of Hurricane Katrina, Brendan Clifford-Walsh, may be "oblivious" to the worry his failure to make contact is causing, says his daughter, Melanie McCahill.

But she is "99.9 per cent sure" he is okay: yesterday she heard again from the Irish Embassy official who spoke to her 65-year-old father after he and thousands of others were evacuated from the New Orleans Superdome, where they were sheltering from the hurricane.

The family had emailed a photo of Mr Clifford-Walsh to the official, Una Ni Dhubhghaill, and she verified that she had met him.

But the Albany real estate agent, who lives in Auckland but travels on an Irish passport, is yet to respond to emails or to phone home.

"He's quite possibly oblivious to the extent of the worries of the family," said Mrs McCahill, wife of former All Black Bernie.

"It's divided family members. There are those who are very, very concerned. They're still pacing around and won't stop until they speak to Dad or get contact from him."

But Mrs McCahill was taking comfort in yesterday's confirmation.

"I think he's just taking time out to deal with what he has to deal with."

Tauranga-based Katrina McGilligan was also relieved yesterday to hear that her sister, Kym Mitchell, and Kym's husband, Jerry, had found safe passage out of New Orleans and were staying with Jerry's mother in Monro, Louisiana.

Mrs McGilligan found out yesterday morning her sister had contacted friends and family in Australia.

"Their roof had been blown off, but in the room they were staying, the piece of roof had stayed on. They were saying how much damage had been done to the house, but there was no damage at all in the room they were in.

"I'd like to believe my mother [who passed away eight years ago] was watching over them."

Mrs McGilligan said that after the good news, she was looking forward to a good night's sleep.

The McCahill family heard on Wednesday through Irish consular officials that Mr Clifford-Walsh had escaped Katrina - but it was not until Friday that Mrs McCahill spoke to Una Ni Dhubhghaill, Irish vice-consul in Chicago, who travelled to Dallas after the hurricane.

She told Mrs McCahill that Mr Clifford-Walsh was with a group of Irish students who had been evacuated from the superdome.

"Out popped this Irish person who said he was Brendan Clifford-Walsh," said Mrs McCahill.

"He wasn't asked for identification, but the diplomat "remembered the colour of his hair, that he had a definite Irish accent, and that he said he was from [County] Mayo in Ireland".

"She remembers he was very unshaven and whatnot.

"I'm 99.9 per cent sure that would be him. He seemed physically and mentally okay considering what they had been through.

"And I'm pretty absolutely sure he's okay, unless he's got into some other Indiana Jones-type scrap, which is possible."

Mr Clifford-Walsh is believed to have stayed one night in a Hyatt hotel courtesy of the embassy, but left no forward address.

Still, her father's failure to make contact is unusual. He is a keen emailer of his travel tales, the last one sent on August 28 as Katrina approached the New Orleans hotel where he was staying.

"This is a man who emails stories of his adventures, and this would have to rate as the biggest one so far," said niece Dara Walsh.

"Until we hear from him we're not going to rest easy at all."

Added Mrs McCahill: "He is so in for a telling-off ... There'll be a few queuing up."