Posted on 02/23/2005 8:46:14 PM PST by SmithL
VANCOUVER -- Photographs from the camera of a Canadian couple killed in Asia's tsunami include their final shots of a huge wave as it rushed toward them at their beach resort in Thailand.
John and Jackie Knill of North Vancouver, frequent visitors to the popular Thai resort, Khao Lak, were apparently on the beach when the tsunami hit Dec. 26.
The couple disappeared and relatives say they were notified about a week ago that the identities of their remains had been confirmed.
Searchers later also recovered the couple's destroyed digital camera but were able to print photos from its memory card.
In a sequence of photos over the course of a few minutes, some curious onlookers are shown wandering onto suddenly exposed tidal flats, a sign of the impending tsunami. In one, a large wave appears to be breaking in the distance.
The pictures show that within minutes, the wave grows larger and some beachgoers begin to take notice.
"I don't know why they didn't run," their son Christian Knill told Global TV in Vancouver. "Either they knew they couldn't or they didn't know the power of the wave."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I'd put the % of the tourist population in Thailand that knew that rapidly receding water to a great distance offshore was a sign of an impending tsunami at maybe 2%.
Certainly, when I was very young, I learned that receding water like that meant a tsunami was on the way. But in today's world of careerist knowledge bases lacking vast areas of what used to be considered standard practical life knowledge, what, maybe 10% max, of the population would know this? I'm perhaps being too generous.
Yeah, I was being too generous with my 10%, upon further thought. 2% sounds more like it.
Thank you.
At that point, tourist guy is probably thinking "hmmm, this thing's a lot bigger than it looked a minute ago."
Check out http://www.baird.com/baird/en_html/indian_ocean/indianocean.html for the before and after pictures.
Assuming that you're about 6' tall, at sea level, the horizon is about 3.29 miles away. Tsunamis in harbor waters seem to run between 20-60mph. Even assuming the wave is at 20mph, it's upon you in about 9.87 minutes. The average male human sprints at about 15mph. If you start running off the beach the second the wave appears on the horizon (not likely, has to be closer for you to see and parse it), the best case scenario puts you about 2.5 miles by the time the wave makes landfall. However, since most people can't run that fast for that far (IIRC, the "civilian reasonably fit" standard is about 8-9 minutes for a mile), you're probably only going to be about a mile inland or so, and the wave will engulf you within a couple of minutes, even if you keep running.
Yeah, I'm sure you're correct, but I was thinking of it more in terms of a gut-level survival thing rather than an intellectual knowledge.....like when someone rears their arm back and you jump back instinctively because you know a punch is coming.....I'm just surprised to see the people in the photo not even looking out at the strange sight....but I wasn't there and I don't want to get myself in trouble by implying criticism of those that were there....just speculating.
Since most of the people there were probably tourists, how were they to know what a "normal" extreme high or low tide was supposed to be in the area?
The locals should (and some few of them did, apparently) know better.
When was the last time that area had one though? I'd better know one having had marine science in college *lol*
Don't know - Krakatoa, maybe?
Yeah, you have to wonder if tourists in Maine or Nova Scotia are going to wig this summer if they're on the shore and see the tide screaming out 15 feet or something.
Even leaving aside my weird obsession with the physical sciences and tsunami documentaries from well before the Sumatran tsunami, because I do a lot of saltwater fishing I'd notice an unusual tide, and also since I have a saltwater reef tank I'd know that those coral heads aren't typically TOTALLY exposed to that extent.
I wonder... I remember reading that people were telling people to leave. Then later I read that some government people knew and didn't want to scare away tourists,etc.
I am very sorry to hear of your own personal tragedy.
I'd imagine it might have been a good 1,500 to 3,000 years since that part of Thailand saw a tsunami anywhere approaching that size.
True. I'm basing my musings on my knowledge of US east and west coast beaches. But even after 10 minutes on an unfamiliar beach, one would have an idea of what's normal for that beach. If low tide arrives instantaneously, it should be obvious. Anyway.....I'm beating a dead horse. Gotta go make my panic run to the grocery store before the snow comes.
Try this scenario.
You're an American tourist, who's just flown into a Thai resort from the Los Angeles. You arrive after dark after a *long* flight. You are tired and jetlagged, so you go sleep off the remains of the day.
The next morning you get up, look out your hotel window and see a long, broad beach.
Do you think this is abnormal?
Or were personal and only the families need to see them, which I have no problem with...
Thank you.
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