Dan and James Vermilyer went to the South Pacific seeking fun
and adventure for the holidays. Instead, the father and son from
San Juan Bautista became involved in a massive recovery effort
following the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that as of
Monday have killed more than 22,000 people in 10 countries and left
millions more homeless.
San Juan Bautista – Dan and James Vermilyer went to the South Pacific seeking fun and adventure for the holidays. Instead, the father and son from San Juan Bautista became involved in a massive recovery effort following the 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that as of Monday have killed more than 22,000 people in 10 countries and left millions more homeless.
The Vermilyers were in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, when the tsunami struck Sunday morning, avoiding the heavy casualties suffered in the coastal regions. It wasn’t until they arrived in Phuket, a popular resort town in the southern part of the country, where they planned to snorkel and cave dive, that they heard news of the hundreds of dead from the gigantic waves that crashed into Thailand’s coast. The pair put their vacation plans on hold and started helping at a local hospital, setting up cots and directing patients based on the severity of their injuries, according to e-mails sent to friends and family in California. Soon the Vermilyers jumped into the action further by helping English-speaking tourists who had lost passports in the quake, which originated six miles below the Indian Ocean and caused waves at least 20 feet high.
Family members panicked upon hearing the news of the death and destruction, but were reassured when they realized they had
spoken with the two after the catastrophe occurred.
“It took us some time to figure out what was going on because they had called on Saturday night … but did not mention anything unusual,” said Jim Vermilyer, Dan’s father and James Jr.’s grandfather. The two had called home on Sunday morning, after the earthquake had struck, but because they do not read or understand Thai and did not feel the shaking, were unaware of what had happened. Thailand is 15 hours ahead and across the International Dateline from California.
Dan, who owns The Lost Forge, a blacksmith business in San Juan Bautista, wrote an e-mail to friend Jennifer Roybal-Marquez, describing the scene that was unfolding before him.
“The whole coastline and all the islands around have been hit…it’s caotic (sic) around here; the military is here, ambulances and trucks with stretchers all threw (sic) the streets.” The need for medical care was so severe that the hospital had to set up beds outside, wrote Dan Vermilyer.
Jim Vermilyer first called the International Red Cross and then all the family friends to find out if his son and grandson had been hurt.
“I started going through Dan’s Rolodex and looking for anybody who I could call,” he said. Vermilyer was finally able to get in touch with the father of a fellow traveler, who had heard from the group and knew they were safe.
Dan Vermilyer, 39, was born and raised in San Juan Bautista. His son, James, is 15 and is a freshman at Anzar High School.
“They are real adventurer types and I can see why they would put themselves in this position,” said Roybal-Marquez, who has known the family for many years.
The pair plans to head to north Thailand – away from the coastal area – heeding the U.S. Consulate’s advice to leave the area before an epidemic breaks out, she said. Authorities fear waterborne diseases such as malaria and cholera could spread with the high number of injured and sick people, according to the Associated Press.
The tsunami struck the Thailand coast after traveling from the quake’s epicenter near the island of Sumatra at estimated speeds up to 500 mph. The quake occurred as a 620-mile section of a geological plate shifted. Because no early warning systems exist in the Indian Ocean, local governments had no time to evacuate residents, the AP reported.
Eight Americans have been reported killed, but many more remain unaccounted for in the region, according to the news agency. The U.S. has sent out disaster teams and prepared a $15 million aid package to Thailand and other countries affected by the tidal waves. The number of casualties is expected to rise in the coming days as rescue teams uncover more bodies covered by sand or those that wash up on the beaches.
Sunday’s temblor was the largest since 1964, when a 9.2 magnitude quake in Alaska caused tsunami waves and many aftershocks.
Karina Ioffee covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected]
