NZ biker escapes tsunami on motorbike

**Bob** · 31st December 2004, 23:12

Kerry Baas of Christchurch escaped the tsunami on a motorbike.

The 43-year-old, who was in Phuket visiting friends, was in the Patong area when the tsunami hit.

She jumped on her motorbike to escape water rushing down the main street, heading north to Kamala, only to find it had been destroyed when she arrived. "It looked like a bomb had hit," she said.

For anyone who would like to pledge funds to assist the relief effort, click on this link for the earlier thread containing links to relief agencies

**mattt** · 2nd January 2005, 09:35

Originally Posted by Bob

Kerry Baas of Christchurch escaped the tsunami on a motorbike.

The 43-year-old, who was in Phuket visiting friends, was in the Patong area when the tsunami hit.

She jumped on her motorbike to escape water rushing down the main street, heading north to Kamala, only to find it had been destroyed when she arrived. "It looked like a bomb had hit," she said.

For anyone who would like to pledge funds to assist the relief effort, click on this link for the earlier thread containing links to relief agencies

All on 1 wheel i bet

**Bob** · 2nd January 2005, 10:36

Baas wasn't the only one to escape in this way. When I was doing my usual news round on New Year's Eve, I also found that a UK holidaymaker had escaped in the same way:

'Simon Tunningley, 36, from Worksop cheated death in the Asian tsunami disaster by fleeing the wall of water on a motorbike. He raced inland on the hired bike as the huge wave swept all before it on the island of Phuket.

Speaking of his escape, Tunningley added "I'm lucky to be alive.".'

So I really wouldn't be facetious...

On a slightly change of direction, if not topic, we've also heard tell of a 10 year old English girl, who had been studying tsunamis just a few weeks ago - so she picked up on the tell-tale signs that something is wrong (apparantly, the tide goes out a long way and very quickly), told her mum who warned the hotel staff. So they got all the residents off the beach and went to the upper floors of the hotel, with the result that no lives were lost at that beach.

When they spoke to the girl, she was incredibly modest and said she wasn't to be thanked, it was her teacher for telling her.

**Blakamin** · 2nd January 2005, 10:50

Originally Posted by Bob

Speaking of his escape, Tunningley added "I'm lucky to be alive.".'

Yeah, especially consdering what those hire bikes are like

**Indiana_Jones** · 2nd January 2005, 10:55

Man I just have an image of that now with the Indiana Jones theme playing.........Respect

-Indy

**avgas** · 2nd January 2005, 11:47

duh duhduhduh duh duhduh, duh duhduhduuh duhduhwaahwaahwah...... ah the old indy gettaway music. Mind due it would have to be really loud to out volume a RX100 going full tat up a dirt road

**thehollowmen** · 6th January 2005, 19:27

Originally Posted by Bob

Kerry Baas of Christchurch escaped the tsunami on a motorbike.

That's nothing :-P

A New Plymouth doctor SURFED one a few years back in Java. He's about to head back to Indonesia as part of the crew to help fix up / establish hospitals ...

And I've just organised and completed a small fundraiser here to the relief fund, it has been good to see the big hearts in NZ who are donating and helping all they can

**inlinefour** · 26th January 2005, 03:26

Originally Posted by Bob

Kerry Baas of Christchurch escaped the tsunami on a motorbike.

The 43-year-old, who was in Phuket visiting friends, was in the Patong area when the tsunami hit.

She jumped on her motorbike to escape water rushing down the main street, heading north to Kamala, only to find it had been destroyed when she arrived. "It looked like a bomb had hit," she said.

For anyone who would like to pledge funds to assist the relief effort, click on this link for the earlier thread containing links to relief agencies

I thought the wave was travelling at over 700km/h, what sort of bike was she riding?

**What?** · 26th January 2005, 05:34

Originally Posted by Honda

I thought the wave was travelling at over 700km/h, what sort of bike was she riding?

Only out in very deep water. Once the surge hits the shallows, it slows down and rears up. When a wave gets into very shallow water, the bottom is slowing down quickly, hence the top rolls over in the curler style we are familiar with.
This is why no big ships were sunk by it - out in the deep the surge was probably only a few inches high, as opposed to 10m high on the beach.

**inlinefour** · 26th January 2005, 23:14

Originally Posted by What?

Only out in very deep water. Once the surge hits the shallows, it slows down and rears up. When a wave gets into very shallow water, the bottom is slowing down quickly, hence the top rolls over in the curler style we are familiar with.
This is why no big ships were sunk by it - out in the deep the surge was probably only a few inches high, as opposed to 10m high on the beach.

Cheers for that much appreciated.