Posted on 01/01/2005 2:02:22 PM PST by gortklattu
From an earlier posting:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1310914/posts
Photo family's amazing survival From correspondents in Stockholm January 2, 2005
A SERIES of heart-rending photos showing a mother dashing into the tsunami off Thailand in a desperate bid to save her family were cabled out around the world this week.
But the family's fate remained unknown until today, when the Swedish mum came forward to say they had all survived.
"I was yelling at them to run, but they couldn't hear me," 37-year-old Karin Svaerd told the daily Expressen, describing her desperation as her three sons, brother and brother-in-law snorkelled in the water last Sunday, unaware of the pending danger.
The series of three pictures showed confused vacationers on the Ray Leh Beach in Krabi, Thailand, looking at the water receding before the tsunami hit the beach.
Another shot showed swimmers running in to shore once they saw the tower of water approaching.
But Mrs Svaerd, unlike everyone else in the picture, was running out toward the wave in a desperate bid to reach her family.
Her sons Anton, 14, Filip, 11 and Viktor, 10, could not see the wave. Witnesses heard her scream: "Oh my god, not my children!"
Today, Mrs Svaerd told Expressen: "I yelled 'run, run'." But her voice was drowned out by the roar of the water.
"I got 150 meters out before they started to run. By then they'd also seen the wave."
The family got caught in the tsunami and was tossed around underwater. But one by one they managed to get to their feet and make it to higher ground.
An hour after the first wave hit, the family members, including Mrs Svaerd's husband and sister, who were sunbathing on the beach, had managed to locate each other.
"We all survived. That feeling is hard to describe," she said.
Agence France-Presse
No personal attacks, please.
Thanks be to God! I'm so pleased they all survived!! I was just sure they'd all drowned because that wall of water in the last picture was SO close to them!
Of course, silly...there is no "o" in Jesus....just like there is "NOEL" in CHRISTMAS...
Thankfully some good news.
This was a miracle that they survived!
You might even say it was a reward for her bravery.
Thank you so much for posting this. This picture is the one that has had me so upset, more than the others because I could imagine myself in this womans place. Thank God they are safe.
Ping
I was thinking the same thing, especially because of the third picture where she looks like she's slumping with the knowledge of the horror bearing down on her family, and the fact that she can't do anything to help them.
That's why I was so pleased to know they all survived!
Strange...she doesn't look like she is running. A couple of the kids look like they're playing. I guess the fact that the water receded so far made them feel safe... and they just weren't familiar with danger of this kind.
One more prayer answered. Thank you, gortklattu.
Excellent News !!!
brrrrrrrr.
Thank the Lord!!
I remember seeing a very funny skit by Tracey Ulmann a few years ago. She played all these different characters. It was a piece about the end of the world. A comet was rapidly heading towards earth and the news was being shown from all parts of the world. Some people were crying, some people were partying, some people were praying and some people were making friends with people who were once their enemies.
One of the last stories they covered on the news went like this... "The comet is now two hours from hitting Planet Earth. People in London, Paris, Rio, Hong Kong, Beijing, New Delhi, Sydney and other major cities are partying like never before. We cross for now some live coverage...Pictures of happy people going wild in joy and fun, dancing like carefree children, hugging, laughing, enjoying life...Time passes...Next story appears on back drop behind the news reader...He speaks in a resigned, slow voice..."In the Middle East vicious fighting has broken out once again by both sides. The Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority refuse to meet together to discuss their conflict..." Now it's back to the live coverage in Rio. The comet is due in 48 minutes."
The devil really is in the detail.
"If you merit one you will get more than one."
If I merit one, shouldn't I get one, instead of more than one?
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