Warned by Reading Awake!

REGULAR Awake! readers appreciate the value of its articles. But for a German couple vacationing in Khao Lak, Thailand, last December, the article entitled “Killer Waves​—Myths and Realities,” in the issue of February 8, 2001, proved to be of outstanding value.

The German newspaper Frankenpost (Selber Tagblatt) reported the couple’s experience: “‘We had been swimming,’ recalls Roswitha Gesell. After swimming in the sea, the Gesells went to their hotel to get changed. Reiner Gesell describes the eerie scene that greeted them after that: ‘When we got back to the beach ten minutes later, the sea had disappeared.’ As far as the reef, which was about seven kilometers [four miles] from the coast, the only thing that could be seen was the seafloor. ‘All the swimmers who had still been in the water had been carried out to sea.’ The Gesells owe their survival to an article in the Awake! magazine.” The article explained that tsunamis are often preceded by unusual outgoing tides.

“When the Gesells saw the giant wave in the distance, they turned around and started running. Reiner Gesell remembers that the wall of water seemed to be some 12 to 15 meters [40 to 50 feet] high. One of his worst memories was of the other tourists on the beach just gaping at the sea. ‘They simply stayed put. I shouted that they should run to safety, but no one reacted.’ Hardly any of them survived.”

Speaking of the Gesells, the newspaper article also commented: “As Jehovah’s Witnesses, during their vacation they associated with the nearest congregation, which was 140 kilometers [85 miles] away from Khao Lak. When their fellow believers heard about the catastrophe, the entire congregation headed for Khao Lak to look for them.”

Now safely back in Germany, how grateful this couple are for the valuable information contained in Awake! And how grateful they are to the Thai people who helped them, particularly their spiritual brothers, who demonstrated genuine Christian love!