~The survivor’s amazing stories~

I was about to take a boat ride with my wife and had left my eight-year-old son in the pool adjacent to the sea when I suddenly felt the seawater rising. We ran towards the hotel and yelled to my son to get out of the pool. In a flash I lifted him up and ran towards the staircase. The wave hit us but still I managed to get to the first floor. My wife had managed to climb the diving board in the swimming pool and when the water started rising she floated up and got hold of a tree and was clinging to it for dear life. Suddenly the next wave came. It was more intense and it was a nerve-wrecking scene as we shouted to her to hold on tightly. She was shouting back that the tree might collapse. Anyhow, the water started receding and we rescued her and got, leaving all our belongings other than our Indian passports.
Basab Bagchi, Colombo, Sri Lanka

I was at the Selaka Shopping Complex at Galle. There was a great hissing sound from the sea and the sea seemed to be caving in. Within seconds, a great wave came rushing in to the shore, destroying everything and sweeping away everybody who was in the way. Everyone vanished in a second. The whole town was destroyed, along with people at the bus stand and vehicles on the road within few seconds. It is like a dream. I have never seen anything like it.
Deepa, Galle, Sri Lanka

Woke up at 6:56 am, then went outside to smoke. All of a sudden I felt this huge movement and the next thing you know you see waves maybe 10 feet high. By that time the water had broken the windows downstairs and was rushing through the streets. Screams for help echoed through the area. People were crying, trying to survive as cars were swept from their parking spaces and buildings collapsed. I got to the door just as a huge wave struck again. The walls buckled as water filled the room in a few seconds. It was like slow motion with my cousins flying into the air, blown by the force of the water. We saw a fishing boat floating into the street and grasped a pillar and held on for our lives. My cousin went to check on my aunt and she was dangling from the shower pole where she had bathing. When the next wave came she got caught underneath it. I haven’t seen her today and I believe she has drowned. When it was over I was so sad I cried. But I am grateful I am living and have my family to live with.
Ronaldo, Sri Lanka

Find other stories at: CNN.com (Tsunami Tragedy: Your emails)