Panic before the storm

[SnakebyteXX]

As tourists flee from the incoming waves, a woman runs towards the sea, seemingly to alert a group of adults and children, who are far out on the sand. Their fate is unknown. The drama took place on Hat Rai Lay Beach, near Krabi in southern Thailand.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/12/31/q_panic1_gallery__550x304,0.jpg

The woman continues to run as the wave advances.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/12/31/q_nupanic2_gallery__550x339.jpg

With the waves engulfing boats, the woman makes contact with her group. It is not known if they survived.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/12/31/q_nupanic3_gallery__550x350.jpg
Link (http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/2004/12/31/1104344935950.html)

[catscradle]

My guess that's her husband and children and they're history now. How sad. /ccboard/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ccboard/images/graemlins/confused.gif

To quote one of by favorite songs ever "Sun, oh Sun" by War: "There must be a reason why, I don't know, I don't know." then later, "There must be a reason why I don't know, I don't know.", sans first comma.

Life really does suck sometimes.

[nhp]

Does anyone know what happens when the waves hit the people? I know that they get washed away, and they hit debris, etc, but when the waves hit you, is there an impact that can kill you from the water alone? Does anyone know?

[Rich R.]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote nhp:</font><hr> Does anyone know what happens when the waves hit the people? I know that they get washed away, and they hit debris, etc, but when the waves hit you, is there an impact that can kill you from the water alone? Does anyone know? <hr /></blockquote>
I don't know about the impact of the waves, when they come in, but an equal danger is being swept out to sea, when the waves go back. /ccboard/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[SnakebyteXX]

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone know what happens when the waves hit the people? I know that they get washed away, and they hit debris, etc, but when the waves hit you, is there an impact that can kill you from the water alone? Does anyone know?
<hr /></blockquote>

When a wave of that magnitude hits the turbulence is stronger than any human. It's not likely that there's enough force in the crashing wave alone to kill you but there's certainly enough force to instantly overpower you. Imagine being thrown into a giant blender with a bunch of debris? You are entirely at the will of the water and the water is grinding everything together. Many people were drowned in that situation because they were held down by the undertow and kept under indefinitely by the tumbling wave. Many more died because they were crushed by the churning debris or pinned underwater against obstacles like tree trunks, buildings and cars until they ran out of breath.

This sequence of photos was shot from a hotel balcony in Phuket. The first wave hit and receeded within less than one minute.

http://img13.paintedover.com/uploads/13/1_204.jpg

http://img13.paintedover.com/uploads/13/2_108.jpg

http://img13.paintedover.com/uploads/13/3_80.jpg

Notice the water spraying past the trunks of the palm trees in this photo? It's moving at an incredible speed and rising.

http://img13.paintedover.com/uploads/13/5_57.jpg

Here you see that same massive volume of water washing back to sea. It's carrying all the flotsam and jetsam that it's managed to pick up on the way inland. Again the turbulance is unabated and the debris in the water is lethal to anyone caught in the rip tide. Swimming under these circumstances is impossible - if you're unlucky enough to be caught in it you're literally at the will of the water.

http://img13.paintedover.com/uploads/13/9_24.jpg

The immediate aftermath:

http://img13.paintedover.com/uploads/13/8_31.jpg

[Wally_in_Cincy]

The video I saw looked like a raging river coming ashore. If you have ever tried to stand in swift moving water, even knee-high, you can imagine what it would be like.