A Welsh surfer has survived the massive waves that hit his favourite Sri Lankan beach as he was taken-up by the killer swell and deposited in the ground floor restaurant of the hotel where he, his partner and child were staying.
Martin Hambrook, 40, from Porthcawl, south Wales, was in the sea off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, waiting for waves and watched by partner Vicky and son Jai from the beach.
As the massive form of the first wave of the tsunami loomed behind the surfer, his partner and son fled to the safety of their nearby hotel balcony and watched in horror as the wave scooped up Mr Hambrook.
“As an experienced surfer, when I saw the wave come I realised something was wrong, but I couldn’t escape because the surfboard was tied to my ankle,” Mr Hambrook told Wales on Sunday newspaper.
Despite the ferocity of the wave, Mr Hambrook stayed on his board and was carried over the sandy beach right up to his hotel.
He leapt off in the restaurant as the sea withdrew and a second wave, about 10 metres high, rolled in, forcing the family to flee to higher ground.
All three survived the devastation which has claimed thousands of lives, the family since opting to stay on the island to help local people clear wreckage.
