December 26th. Remembering the Tsunami
Today marks the 5th anniversary of the 2004 Indian ocean Tsunami that killed nearly 250,000 people.
I’ll never forget what happened during this trip. The actions taken, hoops jumped to be able to get into “ground zero” 2 days after the disaster. The emotion taken to carry bodies and to comfort small children that couldn’t find any family members, the fatigue from working 16 hour days at the make shift hospital. It was 5 days of pure emotion, pure finesse, 5 days of stress, of wonder, of seeing a people pushed beyond understanding. Families torn apart, injuries you wouldn’t believe. The streets were filled with the dead and the town of Banda Aceh was a ghost town with only a third of the population alive and even less healthy and functioning.
4 of us working alongside anyone that had the will. Ira, Scott,Rolly & I working around the clock. Each of us seperatly trying to form our own crew to help in our sectors. Forming a triage, cleaning wounds, carrying bodies, at one point Scott was performing amputations.
I look back and think how this 5 days working in a devestated town effected my life forever. I will never be the same.
Hear more & see footage from the journey here in the documentary “Yang Paling Hina” (4 parts on youtube)
(Christmas day 2004 with 24 orphans at the beach)
(Marcus one of the boys at the Orphange in Bali Photo: Samuel Lippke)
On the way to Banda Aceh. This is where we spent the night… on the tile outside.
(Boarding the 2nd flight to Banda Aceh…this was a huge moment because we were the first westerners allowed into the Provence of Aceh in 30 years)
Leaving the plane. I had no clue what I was about to see/smell/hear. I would never be the same.
Photo: Ira Lippke
Scott & I getting dirty cleaning up the streets.
Photo: Ira Lippke
Recruiting help
After days of hard work, we were worn out and ready to go home. The US marine’s finally made it into town with help and we felt like our job was complete.
See more images at www.iralippke.com (Click > Tsunami)
Read more about our Story in the book: Transformation from Tragedy (Buy it on Amazon >HERE< )
Tags: 3 americans in Banda Aceh, Indian Ocean, Indonesia, Ira Lippke, Long Beach Resident Samuel Lippke, New York Resident Ira Lippke, Rolly, Samuel Lippke, Scott McAlvany, Transformation from Tragedy, Tsunami, Turn the Tide
4 People have left comments on this post
tragically beautiful.
hi Samuel – these photos are incredible, i remember when we heard the news that you were over there. I can’t even imagine how it changed you & here we go again in Haiti. i support children overseas thru World Vision, but wish i could do more. i’d love to see our country’s priorities change, we could do SO MUCH for the world with just the money we waste on cosmetics & other luxuries.
can u grow ur hair out again. it was so fab
The page contains a good collection of photos some of them are enjoyable moment and some are really pathetic. We can’t forget the memory of the Indian ocean Tsunami that killed nearly 250,000 people.