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Radio announcer Epati Tamati may have saved hundreds of lives as he risked his own by not budging from his waterfront studio when the Samoan earthquake struck.
The 28-year-old knew when he felt the ground shaking that a tsunami might be on its way and he had to warn people to head for higher ground.
So while presenters from the five other radio stations in Samoa left their offices and headed inland, he stayed put in the run-down Radio 2AP building on the coast of Apia and opened up the lines for people to call in with news.
The first call came about 7.10am from a puffing 30-year-old man speaking on a cellphone from Lalomanu who had just fled the waves. Although his house was destroyed, his family were okay.
"He saw the water going down, the pressure going out and the water flattening the houses," Mr Tamati said.
For the rest of the day the phones - usually open only at certain times for birthday wishes - ran hot as hundreds of people from Upolu and the outer Samoan islands described the damage or asked if he had heard news of their missing loved ones.
Radio 2AP's usual programme was cancelled for the next few days and reporter Vaasiliega Upati was sent to interview people on the southeast coast.
"It was the most important day of my life," Mr Tamati said.
"My family called, telling me to go to higher ground but I say 'I work for the people of Samoa'. I will remember that day for the rest of my life."
Mr Tamati, who is also a television presenter for Samoa's Star Search, helped to organise a radiothon run alongside a local TV station's telethon. Between 12pm and 7pm on Friday (New Zealand time) almost $630,000 was raised from residents in Samoa and American Samoa as well as family members living in New Zealand and Australia who had heard from relatives of the pleas for help.
People also dropped off food and clothing at the TV1 station in the Samoan Broadcasting Corporation buildings in the village of Mulinuu, near Apia, where the radiothon was being held.
The Samoan Government on Sunday released a list of the names of Samoans whose bodies had been found, which Mr Tamati read out on the radio.
He said breaking the news to relatives who had not heard their loved ones had died was one of the hardest things he has ever had to do in his life.
Mr Tamati is one of five staff at the Radio 2AP station, which is housed in two small rooms of an otherwise derelict building on the coast of Apia.
How you can help
Pacific Cooperation Foundation
Deposits can be made at at any Westpac branch. All the money raised will go to the Samoan Government
Red Cross
- Make a secure online donation at redcross.org.nz
- Send cheques to the Samoan Red Cross Fund, PO Box 12140, Thorndon, Wellington 6144
- Call 0900 31 100 to make an automatic $20 donation
- Make a donation at any NZ Red Cross office
ANZ bank - Make a donation at any ANZ bank branch, or donate directly to the ANZ appeal account: 01 1839 0143546 00
Oxfam
- Make a secure online donation at Oxfam.org.nz
- Phone 0800 400 666 or make an automatic $20 donation by calling 0900 600 20
Caritas
- Make a secure online donation at Caritas.org.nz
- Phone 0800 22 10 22 or make an automatic $20 donation by calling 0900 4 11 11
TEAR fund
- Make a secure online donation at tearfund.co.nz
- Phone 0800 800 777 to specify Samoa the Philippines or Indonesia. You can also donate at CD and DVD stores.
Mercury Energy - Donate online at www.mercury.co.nz by texting the word Samoa, the amount you wish to pledge and your Mercury account number to 515 or by calling 0800 10 18 10.
Habitat for Humanity - Habitat for Humanity is asking for help with the clean-up. Contact the organisation at www.habitat.org.nz
