The 8.0 magnitude earthquake in the South Pacific that set off the deadly tsunami Sept. 29 brought tragedy to American Samoa and Samoa. Samoa was formerly Western Samoa and is now independent and simply called "Samoa." Sean Wooten, 29, of West Seattle, decided he wanted to help.

On Oct. 11 he flew the 5,000 miles, about twice the distance to Hawaii, and arrived in the American Samoan capital of Pago Pago with a first aid kit, a tool kit, and two suitcases filled with clothes to donate.

After he planned to give away the supplies he would pitch in and help the local people.

His parents lived there for three years in the late 1970’s. His father worked at their local public television station. The family still has many friends, and emotional attachments there, and was very concerned about the wellbeing of the Samoans.

Wooten’s generosity was shunned at first, and even the landing was rocky.
“I was pulled out of the customs line and strip-searched,” said Wooten, a 1998 West Seattle High graduate.

“I had my sweatshirt tied around my waste and their K9 patrol dog loved it and was jumping all over. My dog had always slept on it at home. It’s an American Territory but completely different (from the United States.) Apparently a week earlier someone else flew in carrying drugs saying he was there to help the tsunami victims. They searched my stuff and then actually apologized. I definitely stood out. That’s for sure.”

Wooten then headed to the American Red Cross station, a makeshift collection of tents and trailers on a vacant lot next to the Pago Pago McDonalds. The Red Cross was operated by American non-islanders.

“They actually wouldn’t even take my donations,” he said. “They said they’d only take cash. Then I went to a school auditorium where FEMA was set up.”

They turned him away and suggested he try the Red Cross. He was eventually able to donate his things to the American Samoan Community College there.

“I learned those agencies do background checks. I should have prepared in advance, but I wanted to get there as soon as possible.”

He was finally asked to help out delivering supplies for the American Samoan Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, which he said is ironic as it is tied into America’s Department of Homeland Security.

He stayed with family friends while in American Samoa.

“One of my friends works on tuna ships and the day after the tsunami he saw from the top of the boat a woman clutching her baby, both dead. I heard a million stories like that. I saw whole villages completely destroyed with only debris and foundations remaining. A lot of places I went to made me sad, entire lives, clothes, furniture, and appliances completely in one big pile.”

The following week Wooten caught what he described as an unsteady plane, a small island-hopper to Apia, Samoa’s capital. He saw much of the same and said Samoa’s people seemed to get hit worse than American Samoa because that country is more populated and more folks live by its long, sandy beaches where the tsunami’s force first hit.

“Every day I saw homes that were holding funeral (ceremonies.) I’d drive along the road and see a crowd of people in front of a house with food out. But it wasn’t a party.”

At the Red Cross in Apia, which was in this case run by islanders, they quickly found work for Wooten. He pitched in constructing circular cement foundations that would hold drinking water containers in rural areas. He spent three weeks total on his journey.

“I didn’t want to leave,” he said. “I feel bad for the people and definitely wish I could have done more. They still need a lot of help. There’s a lot of debris and trash in many of the affected areas. I’d like to go back and live there. They are open minded people and not judgmental.”