Twitter Saves the Day
Monday, March 1, 2010
A women was able to track down her missing sister-in-law though the help of Twitter and a helpful stranger.
After the Chile Earthquake many people were missing family members and loved ones. Because power and phone lines were down in many areas around Santiago, Sheryl Brueker, a sister-in-law to a Chilean earthquake survivor, attempted to call, text, and e-mail Maria Alica Moya.
"Any info on Maria Alica Moya, please update http://tinyurl.com/yfjtzed or contact @kencamp or @sherylbreuker ASAP #chile #quake," was one of her frantic tweets to find her lost sister.
She was contacted several hours later by a stranger who lived in that area. Through Twitter correspondence the man went to the address that Brueker had given him for her sister-in-laws place of residence. The man went to look for the lost wife and sister-n-law.
"found her she is OK... she told me to tell Twinkie to stay cool, she is fine," within two hours Brueker received a Direct Message on Twitter from the man.
"I am so thankful for social media, grateful to the power of networking and beyond ecstatic my sister-in-law was safe and her home intact." wrote Breuker. This amazing story really illustrates the power of social networks in crisis situation. They can provide communication when other modes of communication can not.
