Niada, a 40-year-old professional diver and tour guide, faced a life-altering catastrophe when a tsunami struck the island of Robinson Crusoe. Living on the island for 15 years, Niada often led tourist groups through its stunning landscapes, sharing her love for the sea. On the fateful day of the tsunami, she jumped into the water, swimming as hard as she could to survive. Next to her was her daughter Luz, whom she had given the nickname Puntito—Pinpoint. And at only seven years old, she had become the light of Niada’s life.
The tsunami arrived without warning, rushing across the island and destroying almost everything in its way. Niada’s house, perched on a bluff above the ocean, was unfortunately wiped out by the surf. Though Niada is a professional diver, the force of the tsunami was too much. The sheer scale of the destruction left her reeling as she came to terms with the absolute loss of her home and the pandemonium that ensued.
Survivors recalled how quickly the waves came in, blindsiding some local residents. Niada, and more recently Luz, were just some of those directly affected to emerge since. As they swam through open water toward a rescue boat, Niada struggled against the current just to keep her daughter alive. Yet no matter how deep the darkness around them, their bond shone through.
Her father, a fellow professional diver, had passed his deep passion for the ocean to her at an early age. You could see this link to her father reflected immensely in her excitement while diving and showing tourists on the island’s tours. As a mom, Niada loved the time spent with Luz. She enthusiastically introduced her to the deep blue ocean that she had grown to love and appreciate.
The tsunami damaged not only Niada’s material environment but inflicted emotional trauma that she and others might take a lifetime to recover from. In the aftermath, she looked back on her life as a diver and mother, contemplating the sudden twist of fate that altered everything.
The small island community has come together in amazing ways to support those impacted by this disaster. Community residents are mobilizing, gathering supplies and setting up shelter for families like Niada’s that have been displaced. As part of relief efforts, humanitarian organizations like Direct Relief are distributing food and medical supplies to the thousands displaced by the Tsunami.
As Niada continues to push through this new reality with resilience and determination, she’s holding out hope. She finds sustenance in her daughter and in the life they lived together during their time on the island. The community’s unity gives everyone involved an enormous sense of peace amid this stormy period.