With over 150 people dead and hundreds more missing after a tsunami caused by a 7.7 earthquake surged through the Mentawai Islands, Matt George and Last Mile Operations are again among the first (along with Surfaid International) to offer aid, according to a story in the Christian Science Monitor.
The D’Bora surf charter stationed off the southern end of Pagai island, the area closest to the epicenter, has been sending back reports of the damage. Last Mile Operations has used that information to put together buckets complete with fishing hooks, sarongs, blankets, tarps, rope, and small shovels. . . “Anything that can get them under shelter and give them the ability to be clean and give them the opportunity to gather their own food from the jungle and the sea,” says George. . . The response has been rapid, he explains, because those on the ground know what to anticipate from these kinds of disasters. George, who also assisted aid efforts during the 2004 tsunami that devastated the Indian Ocean region, says the surf charter business has a lot of experience working with relief organizations. . . “The surfers here are being called up on the most because we know the islands like the back of our hands; we know the villages, we know the waters, we’re qualified captains and know how to navigate the reefs,” he says.
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[Link: Christian Science Monitor]
