Canadian details escape from Haiti without Ottawa’s help | Canada Tonight

Over 33,000 people have fled Haiti’s capital in the last 2 weeks as gangs continue to attack homes and government buildings this is video shared by a Canadian who was Sheltering from that violence you can hear the gunshots in the background the Canadian government says they’re continuing to monitor the

Situation there they say the Canadian Armed Forces are now working with the embassy in Haiti to assist with contingency planning officials are asking Canadian citizens in Haiti to contact Global Affairs and discuss their situation if they wish to leave now we connected with David rosow earlier this month he found himself

Trapped in Haiti after he was going there for a short-term contract now yesterday he managed to get home but he says Canadian authorities didn’t have anything to do with his safe return it was actually a private company that helped him get out he now joins us from

Quebec and he is safe back at home uh glad to talk to you I know what a harrowing situation this has been for you David you are finally home now tell us what that trip was like to get there um well it was what stressful stressful and worington because we had

About three false depart departure notices you know they say okay the helicopter’s here they moved it from one we were at one Safe House moved down to a hotel and then we were supposed to transfer onto the helicopter and that was canceled at the last moment the next

Day they said okay we’re leaving at 1:30 or no I think it was 3: we got ready we’re standing by the we had some armored cars to escort us down to the uh takeoff pad and that was canceled at the last moment and then the third time that

Was good we they took us down escort us down to the gulf course and they had the helicopter land there and we finally got out but it was you know okay so just to to recap this you have to have like an armed uh motorcade essentially in front of you to make sure

That the coast was clear and then get to this uh golf course that we’re seeing right now yes that’s it yes okay so we’re seeing excuse me we’re seeing that helicopter footage uh how did you feel when you got on that helicopter in that moment that you stepped onto it and

Realize that you’re finally getting out well sort of elated and excited and then relived old experience because I was in helicopter rides when I was in the Army so you know for me that was not business as usual but that wasn’t you know I I’ve been in helicopters before

For me it was normal but just the relief of getting getting out is also there too you know did the Canadian government help you in any way none whatsoever they only used to get email every second day and say okay please stay sheltered in place if you

Have need us contact us 1 1800 my my friend he tried to contact them but he just got a automatic reply on the uh on the email there’s no helpful answers what help do you wish you had uh been given by the Canadian government when you were in

Haiti well just the the same service we got to evacuate but maybe through the Canadian government you know I I’ve been in the Army I know how it works I know what equipment we have we have the means so bring helicopters in get ground coordination maybe not the the ground

Security that would would have been left to the haishan not government private Enterprise that was a private Enterprise that’s you know they can escort us to a safe site and then Canadian helicopter could come in instead of a private one because I shouldn’t mention the price but it was in the double digits

Thousands just to get me out now sure a military helicopter maybe C the same but you know why couldn’t we or why doesn’t team in Haiti or in every country every country where there’s Canadian membersy they should be an emergency evacuation plan you know where can we land

Helicopters I know we’re down there there just not one place there’s different places we seen the diplomats they were about maybe a mile behind us they were evacuating out of on top of the mountain over there we saw some people un Personnel just across from the hotel we there there’s an open space

They landed in there and they evacuated Personnel you know we were were about a kilometer from the gulf course and we evacuated out of there so you know there is a lot of place yeah and you know we have been in touch with uh other Canadians on the ground there that don’t

Want to be identified uh because they’re fearful of their safety and they’ve been in touch with global Affairs numerous times and and and basically they’re told just hold it out uh hold down the fort stay wherever you are and hopefully you have enough food uh does that cut it at

This point or do you think that the Canadian government needs to be doing more in order to get Canadians that are on the ground there in a very dire situation back home no it’s not cutting it you know I can I can understand you know maybe they’re just waiting okay they’ll Cal

Things will calm down the airport open and they can self evacuate but this time like I’ve been in HEI seven several times before six or seven time the we once in a while we used to have uh uh aeran French what do they call that protest they they block the roads or

Whatever but the airport never closed down you know okay they they they protest for one day and then the next day we go down to the airport we take a flight out that’s no problem but this airport has been closed for the past three weeks and there is no definite

Date when it’s going to open so you know just government get the act together I don’t know who did this decision just evacuate no the US is doing it why can’t Canada get up and do it we have the means to do it it’s just I think there’s the political

Will to get things going what was it like when you finally were reunited with your wife and daughter it was fantastic you know my I didn’t know how word she was for me you know I we were in a safe compound we’re in a a house usually the house there

There there they got brick walls you know other eight or 10 this house had a 10 foot brick wall around us with barbar and talk and it was you know we had a little ground to walk on outside so we felt safe there and we’re off the the

Main road so you know if nobody knows we’re there plus we were in ponville which is more or less secure except for the last day they got attacked but if nobody knows we’re there we’re safe you know in the Ser hotel when the first time we were in a Sur Surf hotel I’m

Mentioning the name now because I hopefully everybody’s out but that’s just beside the airport and on the first day those gunshots you know we just got in we’re sitting down having a beard trying to relax and these gunot go off they weren’t aiming at us they were aing at the

Airport but if they turn around and said hey there’s a bunch of white people in the this hotel let’s go storm it and grab them for hostage you know so we decided to evacuate out of there into even saber space but it was just the

Relief of you know I got a full-time job here and I still got my mortgage to pay and that’s two weeks there’s no money coming in so you know I can understand well people that are maybe dual citizens in in heiti usually they’re Canadian he they have relations down there they can

Stay I don’t know what their financial situation is but if they’re they’re in the same boat as me they’re going to run out of money and you know you got to get out of there to get back to work yeah and you know we we wish uh the

Folks that are down there the very best in getting home we are glad that you have uh David appreciate you coming on once again to give us the update on your situation glad that you’re back with your wife and daughter David row he is a Canadian who was recently escaped from Haiti

Over 33,000 people have fled Haiti’s capital in the last few weeks as gangs continue to attack homes and government buildings. David Rocheleau managed to return to Canada from Haiti, but he says the Canadian government had nothing to do with his escape.

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