The day Earth shook

IT IS one of those “where were you?” moments. And for those caught up in the catastrophic tsunami which hit the Indian Ocean 10 years ago on the Day of Goodwill, December 26, it will likely be a recurring nightmare for the rest of their lives.

One of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, the tsunami was caused when the Indian Plate slid under the Burma Plate, triggering a series of earthquakes and consequent tsunamis along the shorelines of most landmasses bordering the eastern Indian Ocean, with waves of up to 30m killing 230 000 people in 14 countries.

A Port Elizabeth family, the Finestones, were engulfed in the chaos. Opthalmic surgeon Phillip Finestone, his wife Riekie, their four young children Sara, Emma, Isabella and Sophia, and Riekie’s sister Dillie Findlay and husband George, were enjoying a holiday in Thailand. Returning home without Dillie never once crossed their minds.

- Alvené du Plessis and Nomazima Nkosi