A Colchester couple and their nine-year-old son narrowly escaped with their lives after the horror tsunami hit their beachfront apartment in Sri Lanka.
Safe back home - Ben and Terri Harrington with son Oliver today. Picture: NICK OBANK (40232-5)
Ben and Terri Harrington, who run Red House Bed and Breakfast, in Wimpole Road, Colchester, had been enjoying a dream holiday with their son, Oliver.
They had spent an idyllic Christmas Day swimming and relaxing in their all-inclusive resort in southern Sri Lanka with no idea of the terror they were to face the next day.
Mrs Harrington said: "We had just got up for breadfast at 9.20am when Oliver looked out of the window and saw a huge wave come crashing up from the beach on to our terrace.
"Our apartment was on a small hillock which I had previously complained about as it meant I couldn't put a sun lounger down as it was uneven ground.
"All I can say is thank goodness for that as the water came gushing up but most of it was diverted either side of our ground-floor apartment.
"We watched in disbelief as a second giant wave came roaring up towards us. My husband shouted 'leg it' so we grabbed most of our stuff and fled."
More in today's Evening Gazette
Published Wednesday, December 29, 2004
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