The lives of many were changed forever when a tsunami struck on the morning of December 26, 2004, as a result of an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia registering 9.0 on the Richter scale. Aftershocks in the nearby Andaman and Nicobar Islands sent waves of fear among the survivors, further debilitating their spirits. The aim of this article is to describe the rescue efforts in the tsunami-affected area of one non-governmental organization (NGO), Suyam Charitable Trust (Suyam), as described by its trustees, and to make recommendations from the lessons learned. Although the authors recognize that several NGOs were involved in providing relief assistance, here they illuminate the immediate efforts of one NGO, in one village, Akkaraipetai in Nagapattinam District, India.