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Rotarians, windsurfers deliver flood relief to Northeast via paddleboard
Amara Wichithong (2nd right), managing
director of Amara Watersports.com Pattaya, is flanked by her husband
Craig Thompson and President Carl R Dyson and Ferenc, CM and Dir. of PR
of the RCES 2 days before leaving for Nakhon Sawan, Chainat, Singburi
and Ang Thong.
The Rotary Club of the Eastern Seaboard and Amara
Watersports brought emergency supplies to flood victims in Thailand’s
hard-hit northeast with the help of a wide range of sponsors and some
skilled windsurfers.
Using “stand-up paddleboards,” or SUPs, windsurfing enthusiasts ditched
their sails and grabbed paddles to deliver 100 “survival packs” to
submerged areas of Nakhon Sawan, Chainat, Singburi and Ang Thong
provinces Sept. 27-28. For some areas, these tiny boards were the only
way to reach victims.
The trip was also sponsored by Swiss International Airlines, BAFCO,
Bangkok Flight Services Asia, Isuzu, Singha Water and Channel 3. The
airline donated 100 blankets, Singha gave 2,400 bottles of drinking
water and Isuzu supplied five pickup trucks to bring the rescuers to the
area. Starboard Co. and Jomtien Beach’s Amara Watersports donated 20
sets of boards and paddles for the effort.
Delivering the relief supplies was anything but routine. Each SUP
carried three to five bags, depending on weight. Each was wrapped in
plastic to keep them dry and strapped to the board. Each surfer towed a
second board with even more supplies behind them.
In some cases, rubber dinghies were towed behind a SUP. In one case, a
monk rescued from flood waters was placed in the boat and towed to
safety.
The base for the operation was a large motorized flat-bottom boat.
Surfers, decked out in mandatory life jackets, spread out to
hard-to-reach houses, communicating by whistle.
Organizers of the unique operation thanked their gracious sponsors, but
acknowledged that the cost of the effort exceeded their budget. Anyone
interested in contributing to the Rotary’s relief fund can contribute to
contact Jarutat Snidwongse at [email protected].
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