Escape from Tsunami horror - special report (From Western Telegraph)

Escape from Tsunami horror - special report

Solicitor Vicky Hains and a party of friends were lucky to escape the tsunami horror.

Ms Hains, who has offices in Narberth and Haverfordwest, together with Sarah Roberts, widow of hospital consultant Martin Roberts, her three children, and another friend, had planned to take a sunshine break in Sri Lanka, badly hit by the tsunami.

But they were unable to obtain hotel accommodation and instead opted for a small island off Malaysia.

Although this island did not suffer the full impact of the tidal waves, there has been widespread devastation and death.

Concern mounted for the safety of the party as family and friends were unable to contact them for two days.

But last Tuesday Ms Hains' close friend and colleague in the legal profession Maggie Hughes, of Cardigan, reached her on her mobile phone. "It was a great relief to hear Vicky's voice," she said.

Ms Hains described how the tidal wave caused devastation.

"Vicky said that on looking out of her window she saw a jetski had been hurled up into a palm tree and there was damage everywhere.

"She visited the next village, where there were horrific scenes and a horrendous smell," she said.

l Business couple Ann and Tony Jones - who treat Thailand as their second home - have joined ex-pats to offer their help to the devastated country.

The Jones', whose businesses include the Sands Club, the Trewern Arms at Nevern and pubs in the Tenby area, own a house in Nai Harn, near the Phuket Yacht Club.

"We've spent every Christmas in Thailand for the past six years, but this year we have a new granddaughter and wanted to be home with her," said Mrs Jones. "But we are keeping to our plans to go back. We have such a deep affinity with Thailand and the people, and we just want to do something to help."

Mrs Jones was due to fly to Thailand today (Wednesday, January 5th), to join her husband, who has been there since the middle of last week.

"He has been at Khao Lak, where they are bulldozing bodies off the beaches," she said. "It is even more horrendous than you see on the television news."

* A raffle prize saved the lives of Rhys Jones and Kay Howells, who were on Phi Phi island. They were on a snorkelling trip, which they won at their hotel, when the tsunami hit.

The couple, from Ludchurch, say they think they would have been killed had they remained on shore.

Keith and Jane Kelsoe, who run Elliotts Hill Residential Home, near Haverfordwest, were on the beach at Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, when the tsunami struck. They immediately began helping injured holidaymakers and locals.

With her first aid experience, Jane helped set up a field hospital and after that they travelled to the worst hit area to help there.

* Sam Rowe, 21-year-old son of Emma and Colin Rowe of Stop-and-Call, Goodwick, was out on a boat tour with his girlfriend, Num Pheung, when the tsunami struck, but they only experienced a choppy sea as the wave passed beneath them. Sam is staying to help aid workers.

* Nasima Mowat, of Newport, her partner Duncan Gregory, and daughter Safia, aged four, also survived the disaster while visiting a friend, Bryony Rugg, who recently moved to Sri Lanka from Narberth.

* Cardigan couple Robert Myers, aged 27, and Dakoda Matthews-Fort, 24, had to climb through the roof of their beach hut in Phuket, escaping just minutes before the hut was engulfed.

* John Hadley of Sunnyridge, Newgale, was concerned for his two daughters. One, Philippa Thompson, is deputy high commissioner of the British colony on the Seychelles and is organising relief for the flooding there.

The other, Louise Green, rode out the tidal wave in her yacht offshore, having fortuitously sailed out of capital Port Victoria before the tsunami struck.

"Louise is back in Victoria after safely riding out the waves at sea, " he said.