LEHI, Utah — In every day that passes, Hurricane Otis' catastrophic impact on Acapulco becomes more evident. Which is why one Lehi man is doing what he can to help.
Sergio Martinez was born in Acapulco. Days after the storm hit, he didn't know if his brother in there was safe.
"The neighborhood is completely devastated the houses, the windows, the posts, the lighting posts, the infrastructure," Sergio Martinez said. "My heart continues to beat every time because I have family down in Acapulco."
Others in Acapulco are still grieving or missing loved ones. At least 45 people were killed in the hurricane and dozens are still missing.
"For many people down in Mexico and Acapulco right now all that hope all that spirit has been broken," Martinez remarked.
Martinez has personally experienced the aftermath of hurricanes in Mexico. He was part of a Red Cross group that assisted during Hurricane Pauline in 1997 and saw the damage Hurricane Manuel caused to his mom's home in 2013.
"I went to visit my mom who was still alive in Acapulco and that was the turn of hurricane Manuel and that one just completely devastated the whole neighborhood in which my mom lived; her house was underwater for days," Martinez said.
Now he hopes to travel to Acapulco before the end of the year with donations he's collecting to help the city heal.
"We are just helping with the basics, water, food, medical supplies, hygiene kits, and if possible, we can find sources to provide energy, flashlights, chargers for the phone so people can communicate with their families," Martinez said. "What I'm hoping to do is to ensure that we can strengthen the spirit of people that are working right now to recover and rebuild."
If you want to help Martinez has set up a GoFundMe for monetary donations that will go towards purchasing supplies or you can make a direct supply donation by reaching out to seamountainpm@gmail.com.
