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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Sep-Oct 2008        |
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Australian seafarer rides wave of deathMUA Tsunami Support Fund07 January 2005By MUA newsroom -
Australian seafarer, Owen, 45, was surfing about 400 metres off Welhengoda Beach in Sri Lanka when the tsunami hit on Boxing Day morning, December 26, 2004. He rode in on the first surge and lived to tell first hand of the destruction, the death and the need for Australian workers to help rebuild peoples' lives: "As I was swept into shore I was looking down on the buildings. They were just exploding," he said. "Then the sea churned. I got caught up in it. Instinct kicked in. I grabbed onto my board. The water dropped. Thousands of fish were jumping out of it."
Owen was carried past the buildings and debris in the swirling water until his board got trapped in a pandanus tree. The leg rope was pulling him under.
"I thought this was it," he said. "I was struggling to get free. Then the rope broke and I came up. The noise was incredible. The water was crashing through the brick houses exploding walls. I swam with it and was swept past houses until I grabbed hold of another tree."
The water receded. Owen climbed down. But moments later a second massive wave hit. He scrambled onto a cement toilet block. Again it past. He got down. And again a wall of water surged towards him. He climbed another tree.
Then it was over.
"The water was still about a metre deep," he said. "I got down and made my way back to my hotel. Trucks and buses had been swept off the roads. People would put their hand up and I'd help when I could."
The hotel was not affected. Owen got his passport, tickets, some cash and a change of clothes. He went up to the temple where the survivors were seeking refuge. That afternoon when he returned, they were already wrapping up the bodies in the streets.
Owen got a lift to Colombo and stayed a week helping at the Australian Embassy.
"People were in shock. I did whatever I could," he said. "I did what any person would do in that situation. But I just can't get my head around the generosity of the people there. They had nothing; their lives were decimated but in the streets they were offering tourists rice and curry. They still wanted to help us, when it's us who need to be helping them. Apheda is the best bet. We should do whatever we can." MUA Tsunami Support Fund
The Maritime Union of Australia has set up a special fund for tsunami victims in Aceh and Sri Lanka.
In a circular to branches MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said that MUA members needed to demonstrate solidarity with the tsunami victims.
MUA has set up a special Maritime Workers' Credit Union fund -- the "MUA TSUNAMI SUPPORT FUND" -- to assist and demonstrate our solidarity in such a difficult time assist help waterside workers and seafarers donate directly to people in the worst affected areas through the ACTU overseas aid arm Union Aid Abroad.
"Comrades, the catastrophic effects of the Boxing Day tsunami in Southeast Asia is yet to be fully realised around the world," said Paddy Crumlin. "The death toll continues to grow across many countries and aid experts are warning of deadly outbreaks of cholera and related diseases. When the situation finally stabilizes, thousands of workers and their families will be without any means of providing for their communities. Towns and coastal cities will need to be completely rebuilt while workers are faced with enormous challenges just to survive. Our union has a long and proud history of helping people in crisis."
The National Secretary called on all branches and delegates to inform members, ships and workplaces of this development and channel all union support through this fund.
All funds donated through this account will go to communities in Sri Lanka and Aceh.
In northern Sri Lanka, APHEDA's partner, Norwegian Peoples Aid (the aid arm of the Norwegian trade union movement) has over 600 local staff working on delivering water, food, shelter and medical aid to heavily affected communities. In southern Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan trade unions have mobilised a force of 20,000 volunteers to also ensure that the water, food, shelter and medicines are delivered quickly and efficiently.
In Aceh, unions are working with Achenese community organisations and other Australian aid agencies outside of the control of the Indonesian military to get resources through to people in need.
How can you donate:
• Visit the Maritime Workers Credit Union http://www.maritimecu.com.au/ and request to donate to the MUA Tsunami Support Fund. A receipt will be issued on the spot. • Ring 1800.888.674 (free call) or (02) 9264.9343 between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm. Ring 0409.047.353 any time, day or night, 7 days a week • Visit the Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA website on http://www.apheda.org.au/
(Any donations over $2 to APHEDA are tax deductible. APHEDA ABN is 76 425 451 089)
For further information
Public News: You can view MUA's publicly available news in a variety of ways. Please select one of our public news indexes. |
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This page: http://mua.org.au/news/general/tsunami.html Site proudly designed and engineered by Social Change Online |
© 2001 Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) |
