Donald Autin, a deacon at Bayou Vista Baptist Church in Morgan City, Louisiana, is thankful for God’s protection as he and others aboard a boat survived wind gusts of 172 mph in Port Fourchon as Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, Aug. 29.
According to Steven Kelly, pastor of Bayou Vista Baptist and director of missions for Gulf Coast Baptist Association, Autin is safe but unsure when he will return to port. Autin is a chief engineer on a supply boat that services oil rigs and handles other marine needs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Port Fourchon is where Ida made landfall on the Louisiana coast with sustained winds of 149 mph.
Kelly shared with the Baptist Message a text he received from Autin’s wife, Gina, once the storm passed: “Just heard from Donald. They are on the tail end of it. They clocked winds at 200 mph. He said to thank you for praying. They had [two] extremely close calls with huge ships breaking free from dry dock and he said the ‘hand of God’ moved them at the last moment and kept their boat from being crushed. He said that boats had sank and flipped. Major damage for sure but they still are unable to see much because of the heavy rains.”
Kelly requested prayers for Autin, who has been on the boat for two weeks.
“It could be days before he can come home,” Kelly told the Baptist Message. “He is a great guy who got saved in his adult years and is a very dedicated believer who loves the Lord.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This article was written by the staff at The Message, where it was originally published.
