1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: We'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: on which this podcast was produced, the Gaigle people of 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: the orination. We pay our respects to Elder's past. 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 2: In present, It's Boxing Day two thousand and four and 5 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:19,120 Speaker 2: Rebecca Giles is relaxing in her beachside bungalow on Thailand's 6 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: Pp Island. After a busy year of work, she's escaped 7 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 2: to the picture perfect spot for. 8 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 3: A last minute holiday. 9 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 2: She's relaxing on her bed reading a magazine when she 10 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: begins to hear. 11 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 3: A rumbling sound. 12 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 2: Then suddenly her room explodes and disintegrates around her. Rebecca 13 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: is swept away in a fizzing round wave full of debris. 14 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 2: Just as she's thinking this is the end and pictures 15 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 2: of her family members fill her mind, the surge of 16 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 2: water throws her onto the roof of a nearby hotel. 17 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 2: As the water begins to subside, and Rebeka tries to 18 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 2: get her her bearings, her surroundings looked nothing like the 19 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 2: idyllic island she was relaxing on just moments ago. She 20 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 2: doesn't realize it now, but she's just lived through the 21 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 2: deadliest tsunami. 22 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 3: In modern history. I'm Att Middleton and this is head 23 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 3: Game Today. 24 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 2: Rebecca Giles on surviving one of the biggest natural disasters 25 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: of our time. Rebecca Giles, it's an absolute pleasure to 26 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 2: have you here on my podcast head Game. Talk to 27 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 2: me about when you decided, like, do you know what 28 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 2: I just need to get away? 29 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,680 Speaker 3: I need to break? Was a conversation that you had 30 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 3: with your boyfriend. 31 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, very last minute. I just had the you know, 32 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: I mean, just had the hugest year and really just 33 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 1: needed to sit on a beach and just unwind before 34 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: I was going into a trial. So before I put 35 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: the I just need to just put the tools down 36 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: for a moment before I picked them up again for 37 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: a big year again. And we just thought we'd just 38 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: nip over to Thailand, don't have a great break, and 39 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: come back with a good tan. 40 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: So but you you recognized at that time that it 41 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:09,919 Speaker 2: was well needed, right, You've got a big year ahead 42 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 2: of you. So it took me through the trip. You 43 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 2: you you've got your passports. Are you excited at the 44 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 2: at the airport? Is it just yeah? 45 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: Look, the funny thing is that yeah, oh, very well. 46 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: My partner and I were discussing where we should go, 47 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: and we're just I mean, you know what it's like 48 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: when you pick a holiday, just look at the map. 49 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: And he'd actually never been to Pp Island. I'd been 50 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: there many years ago, and I recommended. I said, look 51 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: this is go to Thailand. It's idyllic, it's beautiful. Trust 52 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: me on this. So we just made, honestly a last 53 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: minute plan and we were there sort of in a 54 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: couple of days. 55 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 3: So you get to Pp Island, are you really relaxing 56 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 3: into it? You fun? 57 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: It was fun, Like you know, it's very rare for 58 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: me to be away from my family for Christmas as well. 59 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: But you know that the particular resort we were staying 60 00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: at had all these sort of compulsory gala dinners and whatever, 61 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: and there were lots of entirely there's a lot of 62 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: drag queens that they had a drag show and it 63 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 1: was all very festive, and you know, it was nice. 64 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: It was like a really you know, evident sort of 65 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: joy in the air because it was Christmas and everyone 66 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 1: was happy and laughing and there was a great dinner 67 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:22,519 Speaker 1: the night before and yeah, it was It's a beautiful island. 68 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:24,799 Speaker 3: So everything felt right. 69 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: Nothing that felt you know, some people say, before an 70 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 2: instant happens, you know there's something you know there was. 71 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: I did not have a sixth sense. And if that's what, 72 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: if that's what you're implying, No, I don't think I'm 73 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,040 Speaker 1: that intuitive. I just maybe if all the signs were there, 74 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: but I didn't notice any. 75 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 3: Take me back if you can. 76 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 2: You waking up and it was yeah, because I think 77 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 2: people don't realize how your life can be flipped upside 78 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 2: down in an instant. 79 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: I mean, I often do think about that day because 80 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: I often go back to it because I'm scared of 81 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: not remembering it and not remembering what happened. It's you know, 82 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: we woke up and we had a really big buffet breakfast, 83 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: and I remember just feeling like I had really overdone it, 84 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: and I remember I had to go and lie down 85 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: because I had a bit of a saw tummy. So 86 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: I went back to our room, and you know, I 87 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: remember seeing a couple of the drag queens not in 88 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: drag with a bit of smear makeup, and we all 89 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: had a little laugh and some people we saw at 90 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: breakfast from the night before. You know what it's like 91 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: when you're in a resort and I went back to 92 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: my room and was reading a magazine and my partner 93 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: had gone to return a DVD we'd watched the night before. 94 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: I was supposed to clean up the room and I 95 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: was I didn't do that, and I remember him just 96 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: coming in the door and thinking, you know, the panic 97 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 1: when you're supposed to have done something you haven't done it. 98 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: And then at around that time, I heard quite a commotion, which, 99 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: you know, like a you know, and I idyllic island 100 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: setting is a bit of a weird noise. You know, 101 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,760 Speaker 1: there's no cars on this island or anything like that, 102 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: so you don't ever have the noise of traffic. And 103 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: it was commotion, but not scary commotion, just commotion, people 104 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: making noise, no screaming or anything. And I remember just 105 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:19,520 Speaker 1: observing it. 106 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 3: Just something out of the norm, right, Yeah, there. 107 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: Was something out of the option. Something I just noticed 108 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 1: the noise and I didn't I wasn't alarmed or panicked 109 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 1: at all. And I can't even remember whether my partner 110 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: said anything to me, but I just observed it. And 111 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: then it was like, you know, I can see the 112 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: movies about tsunamis and things like that, and you see 113 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: water creep you know, water filling up and things like that. 114 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: That was not my experience at all. I was inside 115 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: a structure and it was a weatherboard bungalow, and for me, 116 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: it was like a bomb went off because it was 117 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: so so sudden, so violent, and everything disintegrated on impact. 118 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: But it wasn't like water either, So it wasn't like 119 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: I was, you know, surfing away or anything like that, 120 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: or even felt the sensation of water. It felt like 121 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: a bomb had exploded. And then I was in something 122 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: like it didn't feel I didn't feel the soothing, you know, 123 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: feeling of water at all. It was like I was 124 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,640 Speaker 1: being crushed. I often describe it like being in an 125 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: industrial blender, like if I'd fallen into some sort of 126 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: blender and I was just being pulverized really, because it 127 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: was quite I mean, I didn't feel any pain at 128 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:49,479 Speaker 1: all during this, but it was very, very confusing. It 129 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: was a sensation I'd never felt before. I didn't understand. 130 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 3: Last fought before it happened. Do you remember just looking 131 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 3: around in it just I Do. 132 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: You remember seeing the wall to the right of me 133 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:02,040 Speaker 1: collapsing and then the air conditioning coming down on me? 134 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: But that was in a microsecond, like not slow motion 135 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: or you know, and no life flashing before my eyes, 136 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: like it was micro second too quick. 137 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 2: Right, So you're there, Well, I'm enjoying life, no warning 138 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 2: signs and commotion going on. You literally go from one 139 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 2: gaze to the next, and the whole place is disintegrating 140 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 2: around you and you're being crushed. 141 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: I mean, when you think about the room, the small 142 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: room we're in right now, if that was to disintegrate 143 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: in a second, you know, I mean, I know how 144 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: fortunate I was not to be hit on the head. 145 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: And I think that that is how many people died 146 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: that day. They lost consciousness, they were knocked out, and 147 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: they drowned, whereas I was awake and with it the 148 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: whole time and was able to I mean, I didn't 149 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: actually do anything to save myself, but at least I 150 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: closed my mouth and went with whatever was happening to me. 151 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: And you know, I think that a lot of people 152 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: died in more robust structures because they didn't collapse. But 153 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: I was very lucky that the strength of the water 154 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: destroyed the building and it didn't trap me within the building. 155 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:17,559 Speaker 1: But I was able to move with everything. I moved 156 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: with the wave, so at the time, I just you know, 157 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 1: the narrative, the internal narrative is really interesting, right, Like 158 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: obviously the first reaction is what the fuck is is? 159 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: You know, immediately it's shocked, like what what? What? 160 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 3: What? 161 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:36,679 Speaker 1: And then and then it turns to naturally, okay, really 162 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: what is this and trying to understand from a sensory 163 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: perspective what the hell it was. I mean, you know, 164 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: tsunami is something that is in a vernacula now very 165 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: much so, but back then it wasn't at all. I'd 166 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: remember it from like, you know, Asian cartoons and like, 167 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: you know, I knew what the word meant, but maybe 168 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: title wave was probably something, but I never even thought 169 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: it was water related at all. So I was trying 170 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: to understand. I thought maybe a truck had sort of 171 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: crushed album, and there's no trucks on the island. I 172 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 1: just couldn't. I was going through all the things. 173 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 3: It could be, trying to figure out what was. 174 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 1: And I was just sort of eliminating things in my head, 175 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: just really logically rationally trying to work out what had 176 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: happened to me. But the point is I was being 177 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,320 Speaker 1: moved at such a force and such a speed that 178 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: I had no control over any of any part of 179 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: my body. It was so fun like there was no 180 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: chance I could even move my right arm. 181 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:36,840 Speaker 3: Just you were just stuck. I was just going. 182 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: I was head over feet over, you know, like being 183 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: spun through through with a lot of debris, like a 184 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: wall of debris. Basically, when did. 185 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:49,359 Speaker 2: You realize that you were in water? When was that realization? 186 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: Not until I was out of the water. Actually wow, 187 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: you know, but I did know that. I actually thought 188 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,559 Speaker 1: maybe it was mud. I thought maybe there'd been a landslide, 189 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: is what I concluded ultimately in my you know, rational 190 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: elimination of possible causes. But it didn't feel like water 191 00:10:06,679 --> 00:10:09,119 Speaker 1: at all. You know, I've always had a great relationship 192 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:11,079 Speaker 1: with the water and felt that I could be you know, 193 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: but I it didn't feel that way. And in fact, 194 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: you know, when I was ultimately propelled out of the 195 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 1: water by a force that I don't really understand, it 196 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: wasn't you know, blue beautiful you know, tie beach water. 197 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 1: It was thick, dark, brown, stinky water that was a 198 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 1: soup of like debris, luggage, people, trees, window frames. You know. 199 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: It reminded me of the local tip actually wow. And 200 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:52,440 Speaker 1: the smell was just you know, it was an overwhelming, 201 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 1: very noticeable smell immediately. Yeah, So it didn't feel like 202 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: you know, I've seen a lot of them movies, and 203 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 1: it just just what it looked like and how it's 204 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: been recreated wasn't wasn't really my experience. It was just 205 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: it was a slurry really. 206 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 2: And when you were trying to figure this out psychologically 207 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 2: in your head, what is going on? What were the 208 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 2: answers that you were getting? Can you remember some of 209 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 2: your thoughts? Can? Yah? 210 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 3: Of course? Of course. 211 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,600 Speaker 1: I mean, like I say, it was immediately shock, what 212 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:23,920 Speaker 1: is this? And then a more rational I turned to 213 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: a more rational view of what are the potential causes? 214 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 1: And then I really couldn't work it out. And I 215 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: thought maybe a landslide or maybe a truck or something 216 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:35,319 Speaker 1: like that. And I just I also thought, because the 217 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: bungalow I was in and I was on a foot 218 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 1: on bed was very low to the ground, I had 219 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:42,280 Speaker 1: it in my head that maybe I was just really 220 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: low of the ground and someone was going to just 221 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: pull me out of whatever it was or just grab me. 222 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: I had obviously no understanding that it was a global 223 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: event and that you know, I was one of thousands 224 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: affected on an island, and that one of many in 225 00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: the country and the region. I had no idea of 226 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: how small I was in this incident. 227 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 3: Do you think you're going to die? 228 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 1: You know when it happened, Well, not at that point, 229 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: not at that point. I mean at that point I 230 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: was still, you know, going through the process of elimination. 231 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 1: And then something in me moved on from that thought 232 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: because I was like, Okay, that's very interesting because I 233 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 1: can't actually do anything about whatever it is, and oh gee, 234 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: my lungs are starting to hurt, and I might be 235 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,880 Speaker 1: in a bit of strife here. And then suddenly the 236 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 1: realization of holy shit, this is actually a really bad, 237 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: dangerous situation for me, and I could be looking at 238 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:42,199 Speaker 1: something quite scary. 239 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 2: And then if you realize your lungs was obviously the 240 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 2: pressure being crushed, when did you think? 241 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 1: I remember just I remember just feeling feeling, feeling it 242 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 1: in my chest, and then thinking I don't really have 243 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:56,000 Speaker 1: a lot of options here. I don't even know what 244 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: this is. I'm in trouble. And then you know, the panic. 245 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,959 Speaker 1: It was really interesting, the wave of emotions and then 246 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 1: the panic turned to sort of extreme sort of anger 247 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: and sorrow, like it was sort of like no, no, no, no, no, 248 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: no no, I'm only twenty seven. This can't be like no, 249 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: this is not the plan, right, And I just remember 250 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 1: then immediately thinking it's so funny, like what you value, 251 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: and remember thinking about my family and my niece who 252 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: was only two at the time, and I didn't have 253 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: kids at that time. I have many now, but you know, 254 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: just feeling just extreme sorrow that I wouldn't see her again. 255 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: And then I just wow, so this was going for 256 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: and then oh yeah, and then suddenly I'm thinking, oh, 257 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 1: that's right. I'm really scared of dying. I wonder if 258 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: this is going to hurt. Just all these sort of crazy, 259 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: crazy thoughts about you know, is it going to hurt? 260 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 3: Oh? 261 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,319 Speaker 1: Am I going to go to hell? Probably? You know, 262 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: all of these sort of things about I remember, you're 263 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: supposed to do before you die, I should really be 264 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 1: like and I was always sort of thoughts. And then 265 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: I remember sort of almost wincing and bracing myself to 266 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: prepare for that moment of death. And I didn't even 267 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: know how I would die, because of course I didn't 268 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: realize I was in water. But I just knew that 269 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: I was in trouble, and it was almost at the 270 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: moment where I kind of accepted my fate that I 271 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: was propelled out of the water and I was. I remember, 272 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: it's almost like you know when you're in a swimming 273 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: pool and your dad throws you from one end to 274 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: the other. That was the sort of force that I 275 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: was because I remember being out of the water and 276 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 1: I landed on a roof which was a hotel. 277 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 3: So that's how high this is. And again you're thinking 278 00:14:46,120 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 3: that you're on the ground. 279 00:14:47,160 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, someone was just going to pluck and then all of. 280 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 2: A sudden, you're that high that you get thrown onto 281 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:56,880 Speaker 2: a rooftop, hotel rooftop. 282 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean, And that's the thing, you know, 283 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: you Like I said, I wasn't in pain, but from 284 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: the moment it hit me to that point, you know, 285 00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: I had broken many bones. Didn't feel it at all. 286 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,720 Speaker 1: You know, I had gone from being in a structure 287 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: to outsider structure. I had traveled significant distance as well, 288 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: and I just had no concept of that at all 289 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: because it was just a sheer force. 290 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 3: You know, you didn't have time to look at your 291 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 3: surroundings and. 292 00:15:24,920 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 1: Go You had no bearings at all, no bearings at all, 293 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: where I was, where I was going, what it was 294 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: at all. And you know, one of the big real 295 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: sort of life lessons that I learned from the whole 296 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 1: experience is, you know how we as humans and people 297 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: were just s like we had these tiny We're so fragile, 298 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 1: you know, we're these little specs. You know, we had 299 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: no match for sort of mother nature and you know, 300 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: the anger of the ocean, and we're just really you know, 301 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 1: we're very vulnerable. And you know, I was extremely lucky 302 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 1: not to have passed out. 303 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 2: So you get thrown up out of the water onto 304 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:25,480 Speaker 2: a rooftop. Is that when you realize actually, at. 305 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: That time, I am my adrenaline had kicked in big 306 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: time and I and I wasn't thinking rationally and I 307 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: wasn't I wasn't in that same head, you know, mindset 308 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: at all. It was a very serene It was like, 309 00:16:39,840 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: you know, it was like having you know, taking mushrooms 310 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 1: and then you're suddenly on this like where the hell, 311 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: like what the what the heck is going on? 312 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 3: You wanted to be on a rooftop, but not like this. 313 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I do like rooftop bars, but not this one. 314 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: It was just very confusing and just smell a fizzing noise. 315 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: It was a really strong fizzy noise, and all of 316 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: those sorts of things. The heat of the sun. It 317 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 1: was an incredibly hot day, and just being extremely confused, 318 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: not really understanding. You know, if it was the tsunami 319 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: in my head, maybe the water would be clear. I mean, 320 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: this was whack water. It was like it was like 321 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: the island had destroyed, was destroyed and had caved in 322 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: and spontaneously combusted because all the structures, apart from the 323 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: one I was on the top of, were no longer there. 324 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 2: So you're there on the rooftop all this. You know, 325 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:43,920 Speaker 2: this sea of anger is going past you. When does 326 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,440 Speaker 2: it subside? When do you just do you just like think, 327 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:50,360 Speaker 2: why I've stopped moving. I'm just going to stay here 328 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 2: until happens. 329 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 1: I remember there was a man near me, and I 330 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: remember being conscious of him. He had a lot of 331 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: blood on him. And then there was another surge, like 332 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: a very very strong surge that felt it must have 333 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: been a second way, and then that came over the 334 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,440 Speaker 1: roof and I couldn't move at that point. By that time, 335 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: I'd realized I could see my bone and my arm there, 336 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: and I couldn't move my legs, and I was like, oh, 337 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,679 Speaker 1: I don't think I can help myself here. Like I 338 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: couldn't swim. I couldn't swim or hold on or you 339 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,959 Speaker 1: hear these amazing stories of people who saved their kids 340 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: and did things. Not my story. You know. I was 341 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:41,200 Speaker 1: truly hopeless and helpless. And I remember thinking, Okay, well 342 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,439 Speaker 1: this is this is it probably for me because I 343 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:46,359 Speaker 1: just but the surge came and kind of sucked me 344 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,640 Speaker 1: next to the structure and there was I know from 345 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 1: the water subsiding ultimately that there was just a huge 346 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: mountain of debris that had built up against the side 347 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:58,959 Speaker 1: of this structure. And I got sort of wedged in 348 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: between kind of near the utter and this mountain, and 349 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: I had a little air pocket that I was able 350 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: to sort of sit in, and I just remember feeling 351 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,480 Speaker 1: the weight of this mountain of debris just pressing against me, thinking, 352 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:13,120 Speaker 1: oh my god, I'm going to be crushed to death, 353 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: or just never didn't feel none of it was like 354 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,439 Speaker 1: nice water, you know that you could navigate through or 355 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,439 Speaker 1: anything like that. It felt like it was very It 356 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,480 Speaker 1: felt like being in a tip that had water in it, 357 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: you know, So the water did subside ultimately, and then 358 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: the island sort of came alive again. You know, there 359 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: was it was, you know, like something out of a 360 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: horror movie. 361 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 2: Really, So when it did subside, was there ever, and 362 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 2: again just getting into your head, was there ever a 363 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 2: sigh of relief going that's over now, but then having 364 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 2: to deal with a whole new world of pain, which. 365 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 3: Were your injuries. 366 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,120 Speaker 2: Was there moment where the water went where you could 367 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:56,440 Speaker 2: actually think and hear, and was there. 368 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 3: A moment. 369 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:04,719 Speaker 1: One thing that was you know, I wasn't my normal 370 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: self for that whole day from that moment really, of course, 371 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: you know, I wasn't thinking rationally. I became very very quiet. 372 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 1: I speak a lot, you know, normally m I probably 373 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: would have said a handful of words that day. I 374 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:24,600 Speaker 1: I think it was because I recognized I was badly injured, 375 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: and I I just felt I just went deep into myself. 376 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:33,920 Speaker 1: You know, I wasn't really I I was very conscious 377 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:40,919 Speaker 1: almost immediately of people running around, screaming, searching, and a 378 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: lot of people saying there's gonna be another way, There's 379 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: gonna be you know, people were running to the mountains 380 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: and trying it. They were kind of evacuating the area, 381 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: and I was, you know, unable to move. I'm steal 382 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: in this mountain of debris, and I just remember just 383 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: being unable to help myself or do anything for me. 384 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:02,400 Speaker 3: How did you get off the rooftop? 385 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 2: Then? 386 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:07,640 Speaker 1: Now? Yeah, so some guys that I always describe them 387 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 1: as backpackers, but I don't know why I would call 388 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: them that. Maybe they had a backpack. It's just like 389 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: they were just young guys. And they came by and 390 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: they put me on a door that was in the 391 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: mountain of the debris, climbed up it, and then kind 392 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,399 Speaker 1: of navigated me down. I remember like sliding off and 393 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: this and that, and I kind of remember thinking this 394 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:35,879 Speaker 1: is almost comical, like it's you know, it's ridiculous. 395 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,719 Speaker 3: Like you must have been there for some some amount 396 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 3: of time. 397 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 2: And yeah, and I know that you can't free shake 398 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 2: time because you know, the adrenaline is kicking in. You're 399 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,120 Speaker 2: going in and out of shock at one, but god, 400 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:48,199 Speaker 2: you must have been there for a while for the 401 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 2: second wave to then hit and then for everything to subside, 402 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 2: for people to actually go out, you know, or look 403 00:21:56,600 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 2: around and have that that calavity of mine to go right. 404 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:02,480 Speaker 3: Actually, we need to start helping people, messing. 405 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: What was amazing was the amount of people helping people, 406 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: you know, instead of those instead of flying to the 407 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,439 Speaker 1: mountains out of fear of their own lives. You know, 408 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:11,960 Speaker 1: a lot of people were going from place to place 409 00:22:12,119 --> 00:22:15,960 Speaker 1: and it was incredible, you know, to see the amount 410 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: of sort of camaraderie. This girl needs help, come on, 411 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: will come in to say. I mean, I don't even 412 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:23,400 Speaker 1: know if these people were doctors or what they were, 413 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 1: but it was the instinct to assist was amazing. And 414 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,200 Speaker 1: my boyfriend at the time was you know, he had 415 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: found me by this point, and so I think he 416 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:36,359 Speaker 1: might have directed a bit of traffic around me. 417 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 3: I was going to ask about him, so. 418 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,920 Speaker 1: Yea yeah, and he sort of went the other way, 419 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:42,800 Speaker 1: but he was standing, so I think he was in 420 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: a bit of a better position. And he was quite 421 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: badly injured to his lower half of his body, but 422 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: like quite deep lacerations to his legs and things like that. 423 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: But I have no doubt he was directing traffic to 424 00:22:55,720 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: get me to a safe place. And you know, I 425 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,080 Speaker 1: remember this brown, old brown door that I was on 426 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:04,520 Speaker 1: and they sort of used it as a stretcher. So 427 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: they got me down ultimately, and then took me to 428 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:12,640 Speaker 1: the rooftop of a hotel called the Peppe Princess, and 429 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: that was a rooftop that was a it was a bar, 430 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,160 Speaker 1: had a pool and sun loungers and I've since been 431 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: back there and I see these people, you know, lying 432 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 1: on these sun lounges, you know, looking like they're dead. 433 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: But my experience was there were actually lots of dead 434 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 1: people on that on that rooftop, and I was taken 435 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: there and I was put on a sun lounger, and 436 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: I just remember being feeling just really quiet, and I, 437 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 1: you know, I'm really needle phobic and I always have been, 438 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,040 Speaker 1: and all I could think about was the fact that 439 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:45,760 Speaker 1: I probably would have to have a needle because of 440 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: my injuries, and just sort of like you know, the 441 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 1: funny things that you think of when like that's the 442 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,600 Speaker 1: least of my worries, really, like just crazy thoughts. And 443 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: there was just a lot of activity around me. There 444 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: was a lot of bodies being brought up to that area. 445 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 3: Did you feel like you were in a dream or 446 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 3: on out body? Except yeah, for sure, for sure. I 447 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 3: can't imagine. 448 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,040 Speaker 1: It was a very surreal experience. 449 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 2: I mean, for your injuries were really you didn't realize 450 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 2: it at the time. 451 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,440 Speaker 1: But I didn't feel really, I didn't really feel pain. 452 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 3: When did the pain kick in? When did you start 453 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 3: to realize. 454 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:19,959 Speaker 1: I remember that towards the end of the day, I 455 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:25,960 Speaker 1: felt uncomfortable and I felt my Obviously, I had obviously 456 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,200 Speaker 1: had some bad internal bleeding in around my pelvis area, 457 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 1: and I remember my stomach feeling quite large and rock hard, 458 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:39,160 Speaker 1: and I was just getting weaker and speaking less, and 459 00:24:39,440 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: I think that I was just losing blood basically, So 460 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: I just wasn't you know. I remember people coming to 461 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: put alcohol on my I had quite a few, like 462 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,880 Speaker 1: large open wounds on my legs and my arms, putting 463 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: you know, finding mini bars and putting alcohol in me. 464 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: And I remember I remember the sun being just so 465 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: hot that day, and I remember feeling so and really 466 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: hurting my wounds. And so there was, you know, a 467 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: beautiful man who's an amazing friend of mine, who held 468 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: as wrong over me for a long time. It's total stranger. 469 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,800 Speaker 1: I lost his wife that day. You know, I had 470 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:21,199 Speaker 1: two little kids with him. A lot of people helped me, 471 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 1: you know, And it's so funny, you know, us privileged Australians, 472 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: we just sort of think, you know, we're entitled to 473 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,880 Speaker 1: the best of everything. And I remember thinking, oh, I 474 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: think I even said to Damien, you know, I don't worry. 475 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: Australian government will be here in like no time at all, 476 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:43,439 Speaker 1: you know, will be, will be, will be right, And 477 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:46,680 Speaker 1: that help never came, you know, And many, many hours passed, 478 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: and it wasn't really till the late afternoon till a 479 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:54,959 Speaker 1: plane went overhead and it was a military plane to 480 00:25:55,000 --> 00:26:00,360 Speaker 1: survey the island. And then not long after that, a 481 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: helicopter apatche helicopter game often see you know on your 482 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: s those helicopters, and I think you then you cannot 483 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: pay me enough money to get one of those a game. 484 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 2: So all during that time, ultimately you're in a in 485 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 2: a not even a field hospital. You're you're you're in 486 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 2: this rooftop bar. You're alcohol reverting back to to the 487 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 2: old school techniques of just infection with alcohol and and 488 00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:39,080 Speaker 2: just comforting. 489 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 3: That's all they could do because everything was destroyed, right. 490 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, A lot of people, a lot of people were 491 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 1: trying to keep me awake. 492 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:45,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, what's your name? 493 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: Where are you from? Yeah? That that's was And there 494 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 1: was no form of communication. There's no people making phone 495 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:56,520 Speaker 1: calls or anything like that, and it was sort of 496 00:26:56,600 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 1: you know, like we love going to these secluded feature 497 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: resorts in these countries, but when something like that happens, 498 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 1: you know, you really are isolated, very very far from 499 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 1: you know, the eastern suburbs of Sydney. 500 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:14,400 Speaker 3: Your privileged life. 501 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 2: Right when you're on this rooftop bar, you're being sort 502 00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:24,560 Speaker 2: of treat in a way where you were just being 503 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 2: made comfortable ultimately around you. You said that there was 504 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 2: multiple individuals. Were they they are dead and alive or 505 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 2: were they being being treated as well. 506 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 1: I remember seeing a lot of dead bodies, and I 507 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:42,159 Speaker 1: don't believe i'd ever seen one before my life. It 508 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: wasn't really horrific. These people looked like they were sleeping, 509 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 1: and I think that that's because a lot of people 510 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,360 Speaker 1: just you know, were knocked on the head and drowned, 511 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,160 Speaker 1: and they just looked like they were a bit you know, broken, 512 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 1: you know, a bit And they were just slowly bringing 513 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: people up to that area and placing body is there. 514 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 1: And I remember thinking times, I'm like, am I dead, 515 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: you know, so a lot of like weird things going 516 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: on in my head, of course, and then yeah, I 517 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: think that there was a lot of that sort of 518 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 1: area became a kind of centralized area because it was 519 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:24,160 Speaker 1: a little bit half the ground and people were coordinating 520 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:28,440 Speaker 1: care for other people. There were very few people who 521 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 1: were really badly injured, you know. I mean, when you 522 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 1: think about how many Australians are in Thailand over Christmas, 523 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:41,880 Speaker 1: I mean there's thousands. Only twenty Australians died in the tsunami, 524 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: which is extraordinary. And my impression was you either you 525 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: were really lucky and you were fine you died, But 526 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: there were very few people around me who had bad 527 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: injuries like me. And that may not be right. It's 528 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:00,560 Speaker 1: just in the area that I was, I didn't see 529 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: that many. I know, there was an American woman who 530 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: apparently I couldn't see her, I could hear her was 531 00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: quite badly injured, and she was the first person off 532 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 1: the island and they winched her into the helicopter and 533 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: I just remember thinking, I can't do that. There's no 534 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 1: way I can be in one of those winch things. 535 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 1: And there were a lot of people who were you know, 536 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 1: really interesting, those people who you could tell were the 537 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:31,920 Speaker 1: natural leaders of coordinating care for people, and a lot 538 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,880 Speaker 1: of Australian, a lot of Australian voices in that as well, 539 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:39,840 Speaker 1: a lot of Australian accents. And at Apache, helicopter came 540 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: and it landed in the water, in the shallow water, 541 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,560 Speaker 1: and there was a decision made to get me onto 542 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:51,200 Speaker 1: that helicopter. The helicopter was already quite full when it 543 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: arrived at Pepe Island, and they put me back on 544 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 1: my brown door and took me out into the water 545 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,520 Speaker 1: and placed me on the legs of quite a few 546 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 1: people who were already seated into the helicopter. I think 547 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:11,240 Speaker 1: that would have been you know, five six pm, maybe 548 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,479 Speaker 1: even later. We'd been there all day really and you know, 549 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 1: I know how you know, the idea that I was 550 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: one of the first people off that island, You know, 551 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 1: it's very sobering, you know, when you know you consider 552 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:26,840 Speaker 1: what ultimately happened to me in terms of infection, how 553 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 1: lucky I was to get to medical care really really quickly. 554 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:35,600 Speaker 2: Did you realize on the rooftop before you rescue came, 555 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 2: orfore help came, how badly injured you were? 556 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 3: You said you looked at your arm. 557 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:40,840 Speaker 1: Well, I knew I could have been my legs, so 558 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: I knew something bad had happened. I was very afraid. 559 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 3: Of fractures from your legs. 560 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 1: Well, I mean this, I had a very very deep 561 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:53,120 Speaker 1: wind here on my right upper leg and these were 562 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:56,719 Speaker 1: sort of there in my calf on my right so 563 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 1: my left leg and my right leg. But I was 564 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 1: more so, you know, the concern where I couldn't move, 565 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: and I was you know, obviously I thought what that 566 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 1: might be, and I didn't really want to think about 567 00:31:06,440 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 1: that too much. 568 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 3: In Spye, Yeah, you get put onto the helicopter. 569 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 2: When do you realize, Rebecca, how serious your injuries are? 570 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,480 Speaker 3: Because you are not there? 571 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: Not there forty operations, yeah, probably more, But. 572 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 2: When do you realize, I would say, the extent of 573 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 2: what you've just gone through, where you've just. 574 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,120 Speaker 3: Maybe six months later, oh really? 575 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, I mean again, it was the sort 576 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: of you know, you're in a state of shock, you 577 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:39,440 Speaker 1: don't really understand what's happening to you, and then you 578 00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: get the good stuff, the drugs, and you're off in 579 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: another world and you don't really know what's happening, and 580 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: it wasn't really until you know, mid the following year after, 581 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: you know, my injuries really manifested themselves that all that 582 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,560 Speaker 1: urgent medical care was required. I mean the day I 583 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 1: got off the helicopter and was taken by ambulance to 584 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,520 Speaker 1: a local hospital and I had surgery straight away, like immediately, 585 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: almost within minutes of arriving. 586 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 3: And did no one tell you how serious you know 587 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 3: it was? It just a look. 588 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 1: It wasn't a normal hospital admission. It wasn't like you know, 589 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: sitting at the children's hospital and getting triaged, and you 590 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: know I was, I was sort of fading by that point. 591 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: And I was operated on immediately, an emergency, you know, 592 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: no anesthetic. I had a laparotomy, and then once they 593 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: identified the source of bleeding, I was packed, then taken 594 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 1: up to theater and then anesthetized. And you know, but 595 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:46,000 Speaker 1: those people had to be overwhelmed with so many terribly 596 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 1: injured people, and to just manage that the way that 597 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:52,720 Speaker 1: they did, I mean, it's incredible, you know they would 598 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,320 Speaker 1: you know, these hospitals, these local hospitals are set up 599 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 1: for you know, tourists who have upset tummies and dehydrated. 600 00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:02,720 Speaker 1: Right there was a red dis injuries. They were incredible. 601 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: I mean I got plenty of I got the last 602 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 1: lot of blood they had available. 603 00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:12,720 Speaker 2: And when did normality and you know, inverted kind of 604 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 2: normality sort of kicking? When did you was it each 605 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 2: day that you went through was it? Was it calming 606 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 2: down more and more because two hundred and thirty thousand 607 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 2: people plus died on that day. 608 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: I mean it was chaotic in the first twenty four 609 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: to forty eight hours. I mean the biggest thing was 610 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 1: people frantically searching for other people, so people coming to 611 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 1: see who I was. You know, a lot of people 612 00:33:39,800 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 1: trying to record my physical features to put me on 613 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:47,720 Speaker 1: a register. Very very upset, people checking the beds next 614 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: to me, going from place to place, and that was 615 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 1: a big theme. I remember waking up from the surgery 616 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: and award packed. You know, I was bed to bed 617 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: to bed to bed to bed to people and being 618 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:06,280 Speaker 1: feeling very scared and you know, not knowing where I 619 00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:11,399 Speaker 1: was what really because I had woken up, I didn't 620 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 1: know what day it was or what was happening. And 621 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 1: then I remember, after a long time summoning the courage 622 00:34:19,560 --> 00:34:22,279 Speaker 1: to ask. There was a man who was British and 623 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:25,799 Speaker 1: my father's British and hearing his accent, and it just 624 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: sort of, you know, jolted me into connected me with him, 625 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:31,880 Speaker 1: and I just sort of said, and it was it 626 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: wasn't my father, as it turns out, I was another man. 627 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:36,760 Speaker 1: And I just said to him, can I use your phone? 628 00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:40,560 Speaker 1: And he's like, of course you can, you know, And 629 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 1: I thought, I've got a contact Australia. 630 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 3: So you woke up out of these surgeries to no one. 631 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:50,120 Speaker 1: I remember being on the bed. I think I was. 632 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:51,680 Speaker 1: I don't even know if I had a gown on. 633 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 1: I just remember feeling very vulnerable and exposed. And when 634 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:00,920 Speaker 1: I folcused this, I was confused. I was confused, and 635 00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:03,120 Speaker 1: I wasn't in pain. Still, I still wasn't in pain. 636 00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: And the man handed me a mobile phone. And you know, 637 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 1: if you got give it a mobile phone like which 638 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:14,160 Speaker 1: I couldn't. I couldn't remember a single number. 639 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:15,080 Speaker 3: But what are you going to say? 640 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,720 Speaker 2: You haven't got a clue what's going on where you are, 641 00:35:18,920 --> 00:35:19,760 Speaker 2: what's happened? 642 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:24,719 Speaker 3: It's like what you're going to say on where I. 643 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: Didn't know where I was. Yeah, it's a good point, 644 00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:28,880 Speaker 1: and it's funny, you know, you'd think that you'd remember 645 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:30,880 Speaker 1: your parents' phone number, but I couldn't remember it for 646 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:32,480 Speaker 1: the life of me because I don't dial it. It's 647 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 1: in my phone, of course, But I did actually remember 648 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 1: the mobile phone number of the partner at my law 649 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 1: firm that I worked for. I called him and he 650 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: was driving down the coast on his holidays at the time, 651 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:45,760 Speaker 1: and he was like, hey. 652 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 3: What's up. And I was like, I don't know. 653 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:52,120 Speaker 1: I need you to help me. I don't know where. 654 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:56,400 Speaker 1: I don't really know where I am, but I'm hurt. 655 00:35:57,239 --> 00:35:59,800 Speaker 1: And then I started sort of speaking and then fortunately 656 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:02,320 Speaker 1: the the gentleman who was who lent me the phone 657 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 1: just took over and said, look, this is where she is. 658 00:36:05,320 --> 00:36:07,360 Speaker 1: This is what I think is going on with her. 659 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 1: I don't really know. But and then of course, you know, 660 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:13,840 Speaker 1: working for, you know, a big Australian law firm was amazing. 661 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:17,839 Speaker 1: They sort of took everything over for me from there, 662 00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: and you know, parents insure as everyone who had to 663 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 1: be notified. And I was in that local hospital for 664 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: about two days, I believe, and then I got mediavaced 665 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:36,400 Speaker 1: on a DC ten to Bangkok. We were my partner 666 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:37,840 Speaker 1: and I were like kind of the own people on 667 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: the plane and we got taken to a very nice 668 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:46,759 Speaker 1: American hospital in Bangkok, which which made me feel very comforted. 669 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:50,719 Speaker 1: So I was really really lucky that a I was 670 00:36:50,719 --> 00:36:53,400 Speaker 1: able to get out of Krabi, which is where I 671 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 1: was taken to Bangkok when I did, and then I was, 672 00:36:57,640 --> 00:37:01,280 Speaker 1: you know, in the big American hospital and my family 673 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 1: came to look after me there, and then they were 674 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:07,279 Speaker 1: really pushy and trying to get me back to Australia, 675 00:37:07,560 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 1: and you know, I was very very lucky. I just 676 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:13,080 Speaker 1: don't even know what would have happened to me had 677 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:16,360 Speaker 1: I remained in Bangkok with the you know, given the 678 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:20,840 Speaker 1: severity of the infection that I was cultivating at the time. 679 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:28,839 Speaker 1: They quantus removed a whole section of seats and they 680 00:37:29,239 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 1: brought over doctors and nurses from Australia, set up a 681 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,799 Speaker 1: little hospital on the plane, took me through cargo, and 682 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:41,360 Speaker 1: then I arrived in Australia. I remember when the plane 683 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 1: sort of was touching down. I just been back on 684 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,560 Speaker 1: Australian soil. I just felt so much better, and there 685 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 1: was you know, there was ambulances, sirens, and even though 686 00:37:50,719 --> 00:37:53,240 Speaker 1: it had been many weeks really since it actually happened, 687 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:56,279 Speaker 1: and it was treated like an urgent. You know, I 688 00:37:56,320 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 1: had put a neck brace on me straight away, and 689 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,040 Speaker 1: like the you know, you just can't I can't tell 690 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:04,520 Speaker 1: you just the Australian healthcare is just. 691 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:09,520 Speaker 3: Different level completely. What was it like when you saw 692 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:11,080 Speaker 3: your parents towards. 693 00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:13,640 Speaker 1: That, well, I mean I remember feeling very guilty because 694 00:38:13,680 --> 00:38:17,719 Speaker 1: my mum hates flying, and you know, I'm always you know, 695 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:19,719 Speaker 1: I was always getting into pickles that she had to 696 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: come and you know, pick me up from the headmaster's office. 697 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:23,560 Speaker 1: And it felt I felt like that, and I was 698 00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:29,120 Speaker 1: like sorry, and of course she was like she was 699 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:31,640 Speaker 1: she was sort of like, you're kidding. Like I obviously 700 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 1: had no idea the extent of the disaster, and no 701 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:39,640 Speaker 1: idea of the panic and upset that they must have felt, 702 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:41,879 Speaker 1: you know, knowing that I had been caught up in it. 703 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 1: They hadn't hadn't heard from me for some time, and 704 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:48,040 Speaker 1: so they were extremely worried that I had I had 705 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:54,200 Speaker 1: been been killed, and you know, I felt so happy 706 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:57,040 Speaker 1: that they were there, and my girlfriend came from the 707 00:38:57,160 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 1: UK and another girlfriend came from Sydney, and I felt 708 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 1: embarrassed from the attention. Actually, you know, yeah, but I 709 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:11,960 Speaker 1: guess from that point it's all really really hazy. From 710 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 1: about New Year's was really hazy for me because I 711 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:19,239 Speaker 1: think that I was getting sick, and I think that 712 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:21,399 Speaker 1: my family were like, okay, there's something wrong with her, 713 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:24,839 Speaker 1: you know, and that was that caused them to look 714 00:39:24,880 --> 00:39:27,279 Speaker 1: really closely at my body and to see that there 715 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:32,319 Speaker 1: was some shadowing on my lower back, which was effectively 716 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:35,720 Speaker 1: it was necrotizing vashi artists, which is a flesh eating, 717 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:39,319 Speaker 1: flesh eating infection, which is not very nice. And that's 718 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:41,880 Speaker 1: why I've had so many surgeries, because I went into 719 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:45,759 Speaker 1: surgery daily really for a very very long time. Yeah, 720 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:47,560 Speaker 1: I mean I had a lot of skin grafts, a 721 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:49,520 Speaker 1: lot of I mean I had so many. You know, 722 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: usually when you get admitted to hospital, you get you know, 723 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:54,600 Speaker 1: you have a team, so you have like the AUTHO 724 00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:56,239 Speaker 1: team of the ones looking after you if you're having 725 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 1: a knee replaced or whatever. I had teams glore. It 726 00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: was just sort of and of course, you know, people 727 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 1: were so kind to me so and I didn't really 728 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:09,240 Speaker 1: understand the attention, and of course I had no idea 729 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:12,680 Speaker 1: what an awful experience it was for the whole world, 730 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: and so very few people. I think I might have 731 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 1: been the only patient at Westmead Hospital who was from 732 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:22,359 Speaker 1: the tsunami, and so I really got you know, the 733 00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:24,319 Speaker 1: best care. People were so kind to me. 734 00:40:24,800 --> 00:40:27,600 Speaker 2: Wow, we were running out of time. But there's a 735 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:32,359 Speaker 2: couple of questions I want to ask you. Why did 736 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:35,719 Speaker 2: you want to go back after ten years of the 737 00:40:35,760 --> 00:40:39,440 Speaker 2: ten year anniversary? Was that did you feel like that 738 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:41,640 Speaker 2: that was part of your recovery. 739 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely. I felt it was a big milestone, you know, 740 00:40:45,880 --> 00:40:49,280 Speaker 1: getting through ten years and I was still having surgery 741 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:51,880 Speaker 1: by then and I still have it now, you know, 742 00:40:52,000 --> 00:40:56,479 Speaker 1: but nothing life saving. And I felt that the main 743 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:59,440 Speaker 1: reason I went back was to you know, honor the 744 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:02,520 Speaker 1: memory of some of the people, you know, I felt 745 00:41:02,520 --> 00:41:05,880 Speaker 1: that that was the very least I could do. And 746 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:08,600 Speaker 1: also to confront it. You know, in my head, that 747 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:12,759 Speaker 1: place was a scary, awful, gruesome place. And then to 748 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:17,279 Speaker 1: go there and realize life goes on, my friend, that's 749 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:20,719 Speaker 1: in your head. People were having peanut coladas. 750 00:41:20,719 --> 00:41:22,880 Speaker 3: And you're going back to the same rooftop bars. 751 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:27,960 Speaker 1: Exactly, of course, right, everyone's happy life has moved on, right, 752 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:30,400 Speaker 1: And so it was just to me when I was 753 00:41:30,440 --> 00:41:33,919 Speaker 1: there and I went back, I was like, it kind 754 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:36,680 Speaker 1: of clicked that, you know, the only person really holding 755 00:41:36,719 --> 00:41:39,200 Speaker 1: me back is myself and my memories in my head. Right, 756 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:43,359 Speaker 1: so they've all moved on and this place life goes 757 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,560 Speaker 1: on here and it actually is an idyllic, beautiful place, 758 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:50,000 Speaker 1: And it was just this one moment in time, right 759 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:55,480 Speaker 1: and life has moved on. It gave me perspective. You know, 760 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:57,520 Speaker 1: this giant tree that I remember looking at all day 761 00:41:57,640 --> 00:42:00,520 Speaker 1: was actually not giant at all. You know, those sorts 762 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:04,000 Speaker 1: of things that were just exaggerated in my mind. And yeah, 763 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,560 Speaker 1: it was a terrible thing. But to go there and 764 00:42:06,600 --> 00:42:09,600 Speaker 1: just sort of pay respects to, you know, the wife 765 00:42:09,640 --> 00:42:12,680 Speaker 1: of the man that helped me, and that was good. 766 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:13,800 Speaker 1: It was sort of cathartic. 767 00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:15,319 Speaker 3: Actually, I love that. 768 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:20,520 Speaker 2: One final question, the twenty year anniversary is coming up. Yeah, 769 00:42:20,640 --> 00:42:22,640 Speaker 2: have you got any plans for that? 770 00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:24,480 Speaker 3: And if you have, what there? Yeah? 771 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,279 Speaker 1: Well, I mean I probably would have gone back to 772 00:42:27,360 --> 00:42:31,000 Speaker 1: Thailand had nothing else to do, but I have a 773 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:35,239 Speaker 1: beautiful friend who's getting married in Bali actually, so I mean, 774 00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:38,200 Speaker 1: what you know I have I've been so lucky that 775 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 1: I've been able to have three children since the tsunami 776 00:42:41,160 --> 00:42:44,320 Speaker 1: and the idea of just having a beautiful family holiday 777 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:47,879 Speaker 1: with them and celebrating life. Yeah. Absolutely, and it's sort 778 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:49,279 Speaker 1: of you know a lot of people said you can 779 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:53,000 Speaker 1: do something, and I don't know. Maybe I probably will 780 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:56,040 Speaker 1: call the people who helped me and whatever and just say, hey, 781 00:42:56,480 --> 00:43:02,520 Speaker 1: twenty years makes me feel ancient. But yeah, it really 782 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 1: does date you, like people can literally work out your age. 783 00:43:05,320 --> 00:43:08,520 Speaker 1: So I think I'll just sort of enjoy, you know, 784 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:12,279 Speaker 1: my family and just sort of, you know, really think 785 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:15,759 Speaker 1: about just how lucky I am and you know, how 786 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:18,360 Speaker 1: function has returned to my life and how grateful I 787 00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:18,759 Speaker 1: am for that. 788 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:22,680 Speaker 2: Well, Rebecca, thank you ever so much for sharing your 789 00:43:22,719 --> 00:43:23,600 Speaker 2: story with us. 790 00:43:23,640 --> 00:43:26,480 Speaker 3: Inspirational. It just goes to prove what. 791 00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:29,120 Speaker 2: The mind and the body is really really capable of, 792 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:32,000 Speaker 2: you know, especially when you're thrust into a situation that 793 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:35,040 Speaker 2: you can't control, how it goes into survival mode, how 794 00:43:35,080 --> 00:43:35,759 Speaker 2: it protects you. 795 00:43:36,160 --> 00:43:36,879 Speaker 3: Thank you so much. 796 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:37,920 Speaker 1: Thanks sam. 797 00:43:38,560 --> 00:43:42,080 Speaker 2: My guest today was Rebecca Giles. Thanks for listening to 798 00:43:42,120 --> 00:43:45,120 Speaker 2: this episode of head Game. If you enjoyed it, we 799 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:48,560 Speaker 2: share it with a friend. I'm at Middleton. See you 800 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:49,760 Speaker 2: again next time.