Arkansans survive tidal wave
LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Making their way to an elevated resort about 15 minutes from the Thailand coast, six Arkansans were able to escape and survive the tidal waves that hit the country and killed more than 1,000. Overall, the disaster killed tens of thousands.
The Arkansans were on a trip as part of a cultural exchange program. Five are in their 20s and one is a toddler. They were staying at a resort area where at least 100 people died.
"It was an incredible miracle," said Dave Riner, president of International Cultural Exchange program the group was with. Riner confirmed that the Arkansans were safe along with six Oklahomans who were also part of the program.
The Arkansans included Kevin and Stephanie Themann and their 18-month-old son, Soren, all of Conway, John Patton and Tisha Patton of Conway, and Matt Pace of Texarkana. The program was based out of Conway.
The Themann couple had opted to go on an early-morning snorkeling trip and were on a boat filled with tourists when the waves began to hit. The boat was able to quickly drive into an inlet and evacuate the group, which sought shelter in the island's jungle where they waited for the seas to calm.
Others in the exchange group worried the couple hadn't survived, but they eventually returned, said Sue Patton, who is John Patton's mother. She said she spoke with her son on Monday.
"My son and his wife were watching their boy," Sue Patton Conway said. "They were trying to call the hospitals. They didn't know what to do."
The group is no longer in Thailand. They planned to take a flight Monday to India, where they will live until July as part of the exchange program, Sue Patton said.
"They seem to think everything is going to be OK," she said. "There were so many people dead and so much tragedy. It's just a miracle that the whole group survived."
Originally published December 29, 2004