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Several score cruisers, some soon to provide yeoman service, retired early, as always, that night. The magnificent Rio Dulce was calm. This was a normal evening.

A few days earlier, several hundred kilometers to the west, clouds had formed and rain begun, small drops striking the surface of El Lago de Atitlan with a tender rhythm like the final drops of a Midwest storm on accumulated puddles in roads and ditches. Only these were not the final drops. On October 3, torrential rain began in the mountains and western slopes of Guatemala. Tourist towns like Santiago began to experience raging rivers and flooding. On October 6, in the small mountain village of Panabaj, families went to bed apprehensive about the continuing rain but with no premonition that this was their last night together.

Six days earlier, Tropical Depression Stan caught the attention of Rio Dulce based cruisers who, with time, were relieved that the storm would miss them, but with concern on behalf of their fellow cruisers to the north, especially those who routinely seek entry to The North West Caribbean through Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The storm slowly moved west, became a hurricane, and crossed south of Veracruz with relatively mild effects compared to Mother Nature's later effort, Hurricane Wilma. To the south, the outer bans of Stan gave birth to torrential rain and wind, forces that tore incessantly against the mountain faces, soaking the ground, loosening the ties that bind. The rain was relentless, with power to blind, and it went on and on. Sometime that night, above Panabaj, nature's infrastructure broke. The ground holding the roots of trees, bushes and grasses became saturated compared to the earth underneath and the entire system let go in a gigantic movement of muck sliding down the 30 to 80 degree slopes of the Guatemalan volcanic mountains. In a geologic event lasting only minutes, the massive coagulation covered the town of Panabaj, instantly consuming more than 1,400 beings and leaving little evidence that the town ever existed.

Other mudslides damaged homes and roads. Mountain rivers and falls, usually mild and easily directed through conduits under roads, changed direction. Free flowing and powerful water cut roads in new places, or completely destroyed sections previously cut into the mountain faces. More than 1,800 persons died that night, and several thousand more were without housing, clean water, transportation and food. For a time, Guatemala was two worlds. To the east in cruising towns like Puerto Barios, Livingston and Rio Dulce, life was peaceful. To the west, mainly around Atitlan, nature carved slide paths into the mountains. From below, these slide paths seem like ski runs at Vail, except that they are dark brown, ragged, narrow, at angles approaching the vertical.

Over the following days, cruisers became aware of the devastation. The news affected people differently. For the long-term ex patriots who have traveled extensively in Guatemala, the news was sobering, even shocking. Cruisers who had recently returned from tourist trips to the lake area were stunned that the idyllic life and scenery could have so quickly turned to disaster. New arrivals with no experience in the mountains could barely imagine what must have happened. Every cruiser wondered: how can I help.

The cruising community offers a wealth of skills, time and resources for disaster relief. However, providing disaster relief requires networks. If a cruiser hops in a car, and travels to the disaster area, both his energy and his offering of food and clothing probably will miss the target or will be consumed by the least affected victims. A medical provider might find herself stuck in a small healthy village, with no way to arrive at the most seriously affected areas. Food supplies might wither in a storage area as crews attempt to repair roads. The important tools of communications and transportation must be in place, first to maintain the health and welfare of volunteer care givers, then to move them and supplies to the right spots. Available networks are government agencies, non profits like The Red Cross, and faith based organizations. Jungle Medic Missions of Rio Dulce was both the catalyst and the network through which cruisers could help the many distressed persons in the mountains of Guatemala.

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On Monday morning, November 21, thirteen cruisers boarded LiTega buses for Guatemala City, each prepared to work as long and as hard as possible to help the people of Guatemala. This was an “instant group.” We were on different boats at different marinas, all with different experiences and plans. Some knew each other casually, none intimately, but we all rallied to an announcement on the VHF morning net when Bryan Buchanan, “The Jungle Medic,” asked for volunteers to help in the mountains around Atitlan. Two volunteers committed on the spot, in less than two minutes. Others called in within the day. By the end of the second day, the mission team was complete.

In Guatemala City, we were greeted by Pastor David Alvarez of El Centro Cristiano de Guatemala for whom Bryan and his wife Riechelle serve as missionaries. Pastor Alvarez's home office includes a dormitory for visitors who serve on medical and cultural missions. On Tuesday, using a double cab pick up and a van, we traveled to Pacorral where we helped more than 275 persons. Next day, after an evening rest in San Pedro on the shore of El Lago de Atitlan, we went to Panyebar where more than 400 persons came to see us. Each is a mountain town with Spanish- and K'ekchi'-speaking Mayan populations. At a reception station, volunteers placed a number on the back of the hand of each patient who then went to one of four triage stations, two staffed by medical students, one by a cruising volunteer who is an emergency medical technician, and one by Bryan who is an ACLS paramedic. After diagnosis, a prescription was written on a paper having the same number as on the patient's hand. The system prevented confusion, especially within families that moved through our system in groups of two to five. Prescriptions were handled by the remaining cruising volunteers who were organized into stations: pharmacy, eye and ear treatment, skin treatments including rashes, insect bites, head lice and foot fungus, vitamin distribution, and treatment for worms. Ten to 15 patients were observed with serious difficulties requiring referral to hospitals or possible treatment by volunteer surgeons who periodically visit Guatemala City. Bryan was able to conduct two minor surgeries on the spot, one to clean and suture a deep finger gash caused by a wayward machete, the other to remove an ingrown toe nail. We left Panyebar about 4 p.m. for the two hour ride back to San Pedro. Rain, mist and cold made this the toughest of our experiences. Our last day together, Thursday, was a recovery day to visit The Lake, and to return to Guatemala City.

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The cruising community is an ideal source of volunteers to provide medical services and disaster relief, assuming that adequate leadership, supplies and delivery infrastructures are available. Bryan has used this resource many times, and most participants remember the experience as one of their finest hours.

Cruisers work well for many reasons. For one, cruisers have time and flexibility. They are accustomed to spending long periods in various ports under varying conditions. They also are accustomed to changing plans quickly for a myriad of reasons including mechanical and maintenance, weather challenges, and personal concerns on board or at home. As a group, they can respond right away to a request for volunteers.

The cruising community also represents many skills. For example, two nurses were in our group, as well as an EMT. These skills work well within the context of a common attitude of cruisers, which is, “I can fix it.” This positive can-do outlook is fundamental to a group that will meet unknown challenges on the roads to a disaster area and in the facilities available to provide service. Cruisers are as much at home pushing a pick up through the mud, or riding in the back through rain and mist, as they are navigating a tight channel or battening down for unexpected weather.

Sailors also experience instant rapport with one another. They share many stories about places visited, plans for the future, and problems along the way. The inevitable rapport leads to good feelings as strangers come together to complete a task. Tension among cruiser volunteers is rare in part because sailors recognize that a vessel has only one captain. Most persons who have served as captain know as well how to follow, to accept the leadership of persons such as Bryan and Pastor David. Complainers seldom are found on boats or in marinas because many recall the powerful role of the complainer in a small sailing crew. Cruisers know how a complainer can damage the good will and effectiveness of a volunteer service team.

Flexibility seems also apparent among traveling sailors. Adapting to new foods, showers, absence of showers, various bureaucracies, unfamiliar customs and dress, and new unfamiliar languages are not insurmountable or intimidating problems. Sailors are not easily dissuaded from seeking a new adventure or joining a service team that might have some uncomfortable times together. They know that in almost every culture a smile and a positive attitude will solve problems, even personal problems such as running out of food or becoming lost.

The tool chests, food stores, first aid and medical kits of cruisers are uncommonly complete and available to help in an emergency, and the communications equipment found on boats, such as single side band radios to carry emails and SSB and amateur radio voice signals, can be useful in emergencies. A few vessels also carry satellite telephones.

Since Rio Dulce is an ideal hurricane hole, it attracts vessels that remain many months, their owners occasionally returning home. These round-trip flights are avenues for communication and assistance as cruisers offer to carry personal mail and small packages in each direction. A cruising couple easily can return with a 50 pound bag of supplies such as vitamins, aspirin and band aids collected by state side volunteers having permanent relationships with Jungle Medic Missions and other service groups. Once in a while, cruisers call on friends in Rotary International, Kiwanis, Jaycees, Optimists or their home churches to raise funds or to organize specialized volunteer trips to build buildings and homes or to provide medical and dental services. In this way, cruisers become conduits for communication and motivation.

Local VHF nets are powerful to organize groups. Jungle Medic Bryan learned this by accident. He has used his VHF to become a part of the cruising community, though his personal boating experience is limited to a few months' residence on a house boat in Belize. When he first arrived in Rio Dulce, he needed a method to communicate with persons assisting him. So, he bought a VHF. One morning, he heard cruisers talking on a formal net, which he later joined to make minor requests for supplies and help. With time, he and Richelle evolved to becoming active in the net: they were net controllers one or two times each week.

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The thirteen cruiser travelers to the mountain towns have much to think about. On one hand, we provided valuable short term service. On the other, we saw the futility of dealing with problems that can be solved only by major unreachable commitments of time and resources. A two week vitamin regimen goes only so far. Our leaders deal with this conundrum through the philosophy that by treating a thousand persons short term we might permanently change the lives of a dozen. By observing the personal lives of others, cruising travelers renew themselves spiritually while being reminded of the benefits of life in our home countries. Our personal realizations and appreciation were the most important parts of our group's experience as we shared a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner together, a result of the care and charity of Pastor Alvarez and his family in Guatemala City.

Rio Dulce Medical Mission
November, 2005
Cruisers

Carol and Jim DeFelice, s/v Windquest, C&C 39, from Philadelphia, PA, sailing since July 2000

John and Chichi Guy, s/v Pachamama, Cabo Rico 45, from Indianapolis, IN., sailing since September, 2001

John and Diane O'Neill, s/v Dragonet, Union 36, from Kemah, Texas, sailing since November, 2003

Gail Procter and Paul Pudlinski, s/v Opportunity, Tartan 37, from North East, MD, sailing since November, 2004

Mark Talley, s/v Pegasus, Westsail 32, from Homer, AK, sailing since April 2005

Paul, Sue, Bobby (age 15) and Jodie (age 11) Rogers, s/v Moeranga, Salar Buccanneer 40, from Essex, England, sailing since September, 2001.

The Leaders

Bryan Buchanan, Jungle Medic Missions, Rio Dulce, Guatemala

Pastor David Alvarez, Centro Cristianao de Guatemala, Colonia San Martin, Ciudad de Guatemala

Medical Students

Brenda Bocaletti and Hesler Sanabria from La Ciudad de Guatemala

Others

Members of Pastor Alvarez's family and staff, pastors of churches in Pacorral and Panyebar, volunteers from the local communities who interpreted, prepared lunches and organized facilities prior to our arrival.

Jungle Medic Missions

Jungle Medic Missions is operated by Bryan and Riechelle Buchanan who live near Fronteras, Rio Dulce, Guatemala. They are independent missionaries whose work is sponsored by churches and individuals. Most of their work is in 25 Mayan villages near Rio Dulce, with occasional trips to the high plain. They periodically arrange and coordinate work of visiting professionals, such as surgeons, who volunteer to visit Guatemala for short periods.

More information is at www.JungleMedicMissions.org

Centro Christiano de Guatemala

David Alvarez, is pastor of Centro Christiano de Guatemala Church that serves gang infested neighborhoods of Guatemala City's tough Zone 9. The church serves healthy breakfasts to approximately 200 inner city children, most under 14, before school five days a week. After school, the church teaches English and computer skills. All parishioners are expected to volunteer for the church's social services. The church business office has a dormitory and eating facilities for the frequent visitors, such as the medical service team of cruisers. Pastor Alvarez is an experienced radio broadcaster. He is a professional paramedic in Guatemala City's emergency service system, for which, on occasion, Bryan Buchanan serves a volunteer.a small map of Guatemala pointing out Rio Dulce, Guatemala City, the two mountain towns and El Lago de Atitlan.

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