I stumbled across an interesting set of videos last week on
YouTube. If it turns out your interest is piqued, the title is “Tsunami, Caught
on Camera.” The content was assembled, in the main, from amateur video captured
by individuals who survived the onslaught.
The tsunami in question is the Indonesian Tsunami of 2004.
It was caused by a large earthquake off the coast of Sumatra
on the morning of December 26, or Boxing Day as it is known in some parts of
the world. For perspective, the massive
tsunami which devastated the coast of Japan in 2011 is estimated to have
taken between 20,000 and 30,000 lives. The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 killed 10
times as many, with estimates ranging from 260,000 to 290,000 dead.
Over a quarter-million fatalities.
Much of the footage was captured by tourists who were
staying at resorts in Indonesia,
Thailand and Sri Lanka. Of
course they are the ones standing around with cameras all day so it makes sense
that they become our cinematographers. Unfortunately, they also became the
victims and in some cases the casualties.
The images are by turns stunning, compelling, mesmerizing,
awe-inducing, horrific, terrifying, mystifying and confounding. As I watched,
unable to turn away, I was astounded by the power of Nature’s fury, the very
inevitability of the unstoppable water as it swept away everything in its path.
I was amazed that so many people seemed completely unaware of the warning signs
of the impending destruction. As the water receded to an incredible degree, the
video showed many who followed the ocean out only to be gathered up by
returning waves and swallowed in a heartbeat.
Although the scenes were actually not as dynamic as the
recent video from the Eastern Japanese coast, I found them even more disturbing
because of the nature of the places depicted. Most were resorts on beautiful
tropical beaches. When we go on holiday, we don’t expect to have our lives
changed forever or suddenly ended by a so called Act of God.
All of the commentary was from survivors in the form of
interviews, years after the fact. Most of the people had stories of their
personal struggle for survival, and stories of the struggles of those around
them, some of whom survived and many that didn’t. Particularly poignant was the
testimony of a young mother on vacation with her family who had her 5 year-old
daughter swept away by the flood and then came very close to drowning herself.
Imagine, if you will, swimming for your life with your child’s arms wrapped
around your neck one instant and just….. gone the next. If you survive, you
spend the next days or weeks trying to find your child, praying she will be
alive and unharmed while you look through thousands of photos of the ones who
didn’t make it hoping against hope that you won’t find her there.
So many people lost not only their homes and jobs, but many
lost their entire families as well. I am not sure how one continues following
such a tragedy. I hope I never have to figure out the answer to that one.
