tsunami survivor

thought i'd share this excellent first-hand account i found on a frequent flyer forum discussion:

"I am not quite sure how to even start this post, except for the fact that I am extremely grateful to still be alive, and I feel the pain for those who have lost loved ones, because I was staring death in the face for the first time in my life.

A total of 14 family members including myself had just begun a four-day trip to Phuket, Thailand on Christmas Day. We were all staying at a hotel right above Patong Beach which is the main social/bar/shopping drag on the southwestern coast of Phuket. The weather had been picture perfect for days on end during what is considered the absolute best time to visit southern Thailand's idyllic beaches due to lack of rain and relatively low humidities.

On Sunday, December 26, my sister, cousins and I started out at about 7:30am to an outlying island to spend time engaging in watersports while our parents and grandmother toured Phuket town and visited Buddhist temples. We chartered a small speedboat to take us to and from the island. After arriving at about 8:30am, we decided to start the morning off with a banana boat ride (being dragged around the island by a speedboat), then go parasailing, jetskiing and wakeboarding. Just as we were about to start out, the tide suddenly retreated by no fewer than 30 feet, dragging all the watersports equipment out to sea and immediately beaching squid and fish on the sand.

Having watched a documentary recently about tsunamis, I briefly wondered if this was it. Regardless, we started up towards the restaurant and tourist center further up the beach. Within seconds, we saw the sea swell and water start to build up towards the shore. Out of what seemed to be nowhere, a large wave started cresting and we ran for our lives. There were many people who just stood there watching. We didn't look back, but we heard loud crashing noises, people screaming and the unforgettable sound of waves hitting everything they met.

We waited what seemed like forever. Expecting possibly more (and worse) waves to arrive, and remembering that the safest place to be when tidal waves hit is the middle of the ocean away from the shore and shallow sea floors, we found the captain of our speedboat and asked him to steer us into the ocean. Not surprisingly, this was met with extreme reluctance. We basically told him that we needed to either go out to sea (the wave had subsided at this time, but we thought more would come - and apparently a second wave did hit later) or go up to the top of the island. It took a while, but we eventually convinced him we were safer out at sea than on the shore.

During our journey out back to sea, what was once clear water immediately turned a disgusting murky brown. We eventually made it back on shore hours later, and witnessed first hand what the waves had done. We bypassed several floating corpses by the beach as we approached.

But the worst was not over yet. We were driven to and inland area where we were dropped off at the mall, but at that time, telecommunications were virtually non-existent. What's worse, we heard that the hotel area where we were staying - Patong Beach - was severely hit by the tsunamis, and we could not get in touch with the rest of our family.

I will never forget that pain - of not knowing the fate of your loved ones. I think each of us briefly pondered being the only survivors in our group. I cannot begin to describe how that feels. You can't cry - you're just absolutely numb to the bone with shock. You are hungry but you can't eat. You're tired but you can't sleep.

What made things worse in a way was that the mall we ended up at was fully functional, and an internet cafe was open. It was packed with tourists looking up news of the unfolding disaster, trying to find loved ones. We knew it was bad, but we didn't know how bad other areas - and specifically Patong - were hit. Until we saw pictures. We saw the restaurant at the entrance of our hotel completely wiped out. The phone lines were dead, we couldn't call our parents. We went on the internet and found our friends online to try to call from all over the world to see if anyone could get in touch with our family. At times, we only got "network busy" messages, at other times we could get through to all six different cell phone numbers but each and every one went to voicemail.

We began to assume the worst. We knew they couldn't run for their lives because they also had my 87-year old grandmother with them. I started to imagine them trying - and having to decide to stay together or leave her behind. You don't imagine yourself ever having to make such decisions in your life.

More than seven hours after the disaster began, we got a lone "I GOT THROUGH" instant message from my cousin's friend. She had just talked to her father and everyone was all right. I immediately broke down and cried. Again, another indescribable feeling.

As I write this e-mail, safe and sound in Hong Kong, I count my blessings. I also realize that many tonight are still missing loved ones, enduring that horrible sinking feeling I briefly experienced that day when I did not know the fate of my family. I pray that they may have strength to deal with things that no one expects to have to deal with.

On a final note, those of you who have faced near-disasters may agree, I sit here typing this with a profound sense of hope and humility. How small we are in this world that what we have can be taken away in a split second without hesitation or warning. In the grand scheme of things, I am learning to let go of smaller things that trouble me, and not take things for granted.

Hug your children tonight. Show the people you love you care. Show your enemies compassion. We are just all brief visitors here on earth. Make your stay here worthwhile."