Eytom Blog

South Asian Tsunami

Below is a first-hand account of the Tsunami, written by a friend vacationing on a Thai Island:

I am not sure how to begin our story - Lou's and mine - of how we survived the S. Asia earthquake. Does it begin as my friend said in another lifetime where she says I developed good Karma? Does it begin in a calander year? Does it begin 6 months ago with my cancer diagnosis? Or does it begin , as it probably should, the day after Christmas sitting in a woorden tail boat off the coast of Railay Bay in Krabi Province?

I squint and blink my eyes to clear my mind - to get the images out of my head - yet I want to hold them in my memory at the same time. I began writing this to yo uin the Thai Royal Ex.Lounge in the Bangkok airport - Lou is asleep on the cushions. We havent slept or eaten or showered in days.

Today, we've booked and paid for two hotels - none of which we will stay in tonight - because one simply does not exist anymore. We are heading to the mountains - no more water for us. But we are ok. We are ok. We are unscathed in fact - physically - amazing considreing the events within the past 24 hours.

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12-26-04
Lou and I sit on a wooden long tail boat (after it arrived 30 minutes late - thanks goodness!) We are with about 15 other tourists ready to go to Phi Phi Island for 3 days of r&r. We booked ourselves at an upscale resort called the Princess - a perfect place to reflect on the past 6 months and look to the upcoming year. The boat is packed with people and luggage, but all of a sudden, the water receded and we were moored in the sand. The tide had gone out instantaneously. We were ordered to get off the boat and grab our bags. We thought we were going to have to push the boat up the sand in to the water. but then we looked right and saw a massive wave heading to a nearby cove (Ao Nang) and confused, we all made remarks about how we've ne ver seen waves here before!

Then I saw the faces of the boat staff go blank and ashen. They screamed to us "Run, forget your bags, Run!" We ran up to the platform - the small wall where the beach meets the cottages and restaurants. Thinking we just needed to get off the sand, we turned to look at the sea - and it had swelled so big that it was picking up and smashing sail boats in front of us like toys - it was stacking wooden boats like dominoes - sending them flying down sideways along the beach (and later into trees, pools, stores and cottages.) I heard "Run for Your Life!" and dropped my camera batteries in the sand and tried to get my stuff. A Thai man grabbed my bag and me and ran me down a walkway. I felt like I had lead in my feet. My head and body didn't agree about running! I couldn't see Lou. I couldn't find him as I screamed his name. I kept running from the Tsunami - wood and water at my feet and god only new what was comin at my back - boats, tables, ovens, computers, desks ....

I turned around and saw Lou carrying a man about 65 with another tourist - the man was bloody and muddy. Lou had rescued him from being pinned under tables and chairs - he as drowing and Lou picked him up. Lou tells me he saw me ahead and knew I was safe - so he stayed with the man who turned out to be French and couldn't speak any English. But he was in such pain - and so grateful. Lou dressed his wounds.

After the wave subsided, we stopped running. I need to find our friends Sunshine and Rob and their baby Deacan. We headed back toward the beach. It never occured to anyone that it wasn't over. We thought is was a freak thing happening to our little island.

(Someone just came up to me and said I look very sad and did I know someone down South .. I said yes, many.)

We couldn't believe it when we actually saw Sunshine standing by the pool holding Deacan. We hugged and cried. The pool was a cesspool - tress, boats, filth floating in it now. But then we heard the words "RUN RUN RUN" again! A second, bigger wave was coming. I ran, Lou ran with Sunshine (4 months pregnant) and this time, I was terrified, didn't want to stop and thought we would certainly die.

Somehow, Rob found us as we slowed in the middle of the cottages to get our breath. He'd been taken down by the water and had been hanging onto a tree. After the water receded, he ran through a smashed up store - without shoes - through glass - to find his family. (Rob lost one sandal and throughout the day hung onto the other one in hope to find its mate, but finally, he let it go!)

The restaurants had set up breakfast buffet with chaffing dishes and now they were cathching things on fire. Rob had run to help put the fires out and to warn people of the boats flying down the beach.
Banged up and a bit bloody, Rob found us and then we heard the third "RUN" and a wave of people pushed us further on.

We headed high now - I wanted to climb onto a roof, people were climbing trees - but Sunshine had it right - she said, " follow the Thai's" they know where to go and how to get there. What we didn't know at the time as that the tsunami was hitting not only the West Coast of Railay, but the East as well. We were trapped in the middle and the only ay to go was up - into the jungle. We followred a massive crwod at a run/walk pace up hill to a pagoda/bar area near a place where we had actually been climbing the day before. We kept hearing that more and more waves have hit and there were multiple earthquakes causing them! We just didn't know how many more to expect and when they'd stop.

We stopped at the pagoda - determining it as the highest, safest place we could be. Other tourists weren't so sure and headed deeper into the jungle. Eventually, probaly 200 people were waiting, waiting, waiting at what we now call "High Camp." When we first arrived, we tethered our bags to the poles - emptied a backpack out so we could put Deacan in it, and we made two "Go Bags" - the essentials we needed if we had to make a run for it. Luckily, we had our packs because we were going to a different island that day. We had our climbing gear, first aid kits, headlamps, hats and water.

Lou became the camp "medic" we say.He walked around with iodine and climbing tape - wrapping wounds and cleaning cuts, and swapping stories.The stories were so sad, terrifying an tragic. It was the land of the walking wounded - families in bathing suits - cut by glass and wood and other debris. Most people lost all of their bags and passports. We were lucky.

An Australian man named Dave emerged as the spokesperson for the group - he was the information focal point as he had a cell phone and a line to the Thailand Coast guard (or so we believed.). The group decided to get rid of all of the tables, chairs and glass. We had to get them out of our way so if the wave hit, we wouldn't be pinned or impaled by that debris at least. A line formed and furniture and glass was passed down flights of wooden stairs.

We waited for about 6 hours - waiting for the next wave to hit - and it never did. Or at least it didn't reach us. We began to here helicopters and get news about the earthquakes. There was no food - the kids were crying - and people were getting hungry and tired and the one bathroom began to overflow and reaked. It was time to make a move - and Lou decided that we needed to get into a cottage that was a bout the same elevation as where we presently were. We decided to make a run for it - because to get there - we had to run down and then up. At the same time, we heard another tsunami hit Phi Phi and was coming our way. We ran with Rob and Sunshine and Deacan - and made it up 6 flights of stairs to cottages high above the water.

Needless to say, we drank some beers, and ate as much rice as they could cook. We think many people spent the night at "High Camp" or up in the jungle further. But we took our chances. At some point during the night, we decided to run down to an internet shop that was still operating and contact our families. We caught a glimpse of the terrible devastation on the news and then realized the magnitude of what happened.

Nobody really slept that night - we hear helicopter after helicopter pass over - looking for bodies and helping the wounded get off the island. The next morning, a mass exodus took place. The governmetn had ordered everyone off the island - it was a disaster area and not safe and not sanitary. Speed boats were ferrying people off the island onto ferries. Lou decided we should stay a while and let the masses go first.

We ended up leaving that evening, cathing a boat then a taxi to the Krabi airport.It was a nightmare scene - we heard horror stories that I cannot repeat because it would take too long and bring me to tears again. One after another wounded was loaded on to the plane and then we left around 10 pm. We arrived in Bangkok around 11 - and were met by six ambulances, doctors, nurses,and various Embassy officials (BUT NOT THE US EMBASSY !! ) Most people had no passports, no clothes, no money, no family.
We decided to salvage our vacatinon and head to the hills of Thailand with our friends Sunshine and Rob. This is where we are now -Chiang Mai. But it feels so odd - so distant and broken from the reality we just experienced. We will try to get some sleep tonight - at least a good hot shower!

I don't know what one does with experiences like this - I haven't processed it all. The day I left Kathmandu for Thailand, I met a tourist whom I ended up telling my story about breast cancer. She gave me a yellow band from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Inscribed in it are the words: LiveStrong. I muttered those words a lot during the last few days - I suppose they are my mantra now.

PS. The hotel we were going to is gone - obliterated. It is now being used as a helicopter landing pad.

Pictures forthcoming in about a week.