Tsunamis hit rich and famous
2004-12-29 09:43
Bangkok - A statesman, a supermodel and a skier were among the vacationers whose search for some peace and sun in tropical southern Asia was ripped apart by the horror of the massive earthquake and tsunami waves that tore through the region, sparing neither rich nor poor in one of the world's worst natural disasters.
Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova - who appeared on the cover of 2003 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue - was carried away with her British photographer boyfriend after a huge wave plowed into southern Thailand.
Nemcova, 25, clung to a tree for eight hours as the water swirled around her. She was recovering in a Thai hospital after suffering a shattered hip and unspecified internal injuries.
Her a fashion photographer boyfriend, Simon Atlee, was swallowed by the raging waters and was still missing on Tuesday.
"It just seems horrific, like something out of a movie," said Atlee's agent, Eve Stoner.
Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl had taken a holiday in Sri Lanka's pristine south - one of the areas most devastated by tidal waves, which left more than 18 700 dead on the South Asian island.
Kohl was evacuated from a hotel by the Sri Lankan air force Tuesday with his entourage.
"The helicopter went and we managed to bring him back with six others," Commander Air Marshal Donald Perera said.
The most powerful earthquake in 40 years and the massive waves it unleashed had killed at least 56 000 as of early Wednesday, and the death toll continued to climb.
Thailand's royal family were among the grieving. The Thai-American grandson of revered King Bhumipol Adulyadej, Poom Jensen, 21, was reportedly jet skiing when the tidal wave struck the famed resort of Phuket.
Hollywood actor-director Richard Attenborough's family also suffered tragedy. His granddaughter, Lucy, 14, perished and his daughter, Jane, and her mother-in-law remained missing in Phuket. Another granddaughter, Alice, 17, was being treated in a hospital.
Attenborough's directorial credits include Cry Freedom, Chaplin and the Oscar-winning Gandhi.
Designer Nate Berkus - a regular contributor on The Oprah Winfrey Show - was carried away with a friend by a tsunami after it ripped off the roof of their hut in Sri Lanka.
They briefly clung to a telephone poll, but a second wave ripped them away. Berkus climbed to safety on the roof of a submerged home - but his friend disappeared into the raging sea.
- AP