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| Boxing Day Tsunami: An elephant took me to safety | Boxing Day Tsunami: An elephant took me to safety |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| Amber Mason said once Ningnong the elephant realised there was something wrong he "started pulling away" | Amber Mason said once Ningnong the elephant realised there was something wrong he "started pulling away" |
| A woman who was able to survive the Boxing Day tsunami in Thailand 20 years ago unharmed because of an elephant, said "it makes you grateful for everything that's happened to you". | |
| On 26 December 2004, Amber Owen, from Milton Keynes, was on holiday in Phuket when a magnitude-9.1 earthquake struck under the sea in northern Indonesia. | |
| It claimed the lives of 230,000 people, but she was taken to safety by elephant Ningnong, who she was riding at the time the first wave hit. | |
| Miss Owen's story inspired the children's author Michael Morpurgo to write a book, called Running Wild, that was adapted into a theatrical play. | Miss Owen's story inspired the children's author Michael Morpurgo to write a book, called Running Wild, that was adapted into a theatrical play. |
| The 28-year-old, who now lives in Northampton, said at the time she "didn't fully understand what was going on". | The 28-year-old, who now lives in Northampton, said at the time she "didn't fully understand what was going on". |
| Amber works in sales for a market research company | Amber works in sales for a market research company |
| She said she was staying at a hotel in Phuket, with her mother and stepfather, over the festive season. | She said she was staying at a hotel in Phuket, with her mother and stepfather, over the festive season. |
| Early on Boxing Day, she was in the bathroom with her mother Samantha Miles, when "the room started shaking, none of us had any idea what was going on, things just wobbled, nothing too drastic, so we didn't think anything of it and went for breakfast". | Early on Boxing Day, she was in the bathroom with her mother Samantha Miles, when "the room started shaking, none of us had any idea what was going on, things just wobbled, nothing too drastic, so we didn't think anything of it and went for breakfast". |
| Most days she went to the children's club, which had resident elephants Ningnong and Yumyum, and on that morning she rode on Ningnong's back down to the beach. | Most days she went to the children's club, which had resident elephants Ningnong and Yumyum, and on that morning she rode on Ningnong's back down to the beach. |
| I Was There: The Boxing Day Tsunami | I Was There: The Boxing Day Tsunami |
| The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami is one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Two decades on, eyewitnesses share their story of survival. | The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami is one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Two decades on, eyewitnesses share their story of survival. |
| A series of waves triggered by an earthquake devastated parts of Thailand, including Puket | A series of waves triggered by an earthquake devastated parts of Thailand, including Puket |
| She noticed that the water had gone "really far back" leaving bumpy sand and fish. | She noticed that the water had gone "really far back" leaving bumpy sand and fish. |
| "I don't know what happened, but there was a sound or something and all the animals on the beach started running off. | "I don't know what happened, but there was a sound or something and all the animals on the beach started running off. |
| "I was still with the elephant handler and all of a sudden the water started to come in, the elephant just pulled away, ran through the water and I was taken to the concrete stage, at the hotel. | "I was still with the elephant handler and all of a sudden the water started to come in, the elephant just pulled away, ran through the water and I was taken to the concrete stage, at the hotel. |
| "I could tell the animals knew what was going on." | "I could tell the animals knew what was going on." |
| She said as the hotel had a large number of lagoons around it, most of the water filtered into them, so it was not as badly affected as other areas. | She said as the hotel had a large number of lagoons around it, most of the water filtered into them, so it was not as badly affected as other areas. |
| After several days of trying to get flights, the family flew home on New Year's Eve, 31 December. | |
| Amber (right) was able to see Running Wild when it was made into a stage show | Amber (right) was able to see Running Wild when it was made into a stage show |
| Her story was covered by the press, and "it has always followed me around", she said. | Her story was covered by the press, and "it has always followed me around", she said. |
| "It was nice to read out of all the horrible reads," she added. | "It was nice to read out of all the horrible reads," she added. |
| She said Morpurgo, the author of War Horse, was inspired by her story to write Running Wild, and she got to meet him, and the cast of the play, which was amazing. | She said Morpurgo, the author of War Horse, was inspired by her story to write Running Wild, and she got to meet him, and the cast of the play, which was amazing. |
| "It's been part of my journey in life, it makes you really grateful for everything that's happened to you," she said. | "It's been part of my journey in life, it makes you really grateful for everything that's happened to you," she said. |
| "Things happen for a reason, and this was my reason - you've just got to live life to the full. | |
| "It shows elephants' instincts and promotes them as an animal." | |
| Amber said two elephants lived at the hotel and she would regularly feed them bananas | Amber said two elephants lived at the hotel and she would regularly feed them bananas |
| Get in touch | Get in touch |
| Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts & Bucks? | Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts & Bucks? |
| Follow East of England news on X, external, Instagram, external and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, external, and BBC Northamptonshire, external. | Follow East of England news on X, external, Instagram, external and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, external, and BBC Northamptonshire, external. |