Tsunami news

I'm sure that many of you have been following news of the recent tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean. Events of this magnitude have a way of bringing out the best and the worst in people. Let's look at the latter to begin with:

Tsunami email hoaxer admits guilt

A Lincolnshire man has pleaded guilty to sending hoax e-mails to relatives of people missing following the Asian tsunami disaster.

Christopher Pierson, 40, was arrested on New Year's Eve and charged on Sunday with malicious communication and causing a public nuisance.
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The court was told Pierson sent up to 35 emails to relatives who had posted their details on the Sky News website.

They stated "that the UK Government regretted to inform the victim that the missing person they were inquiring about was confirmed dead". (full story on the BBC website - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/4142463.stm)

I can't imagine what would possess someone to manipulate peoples' emotions in such a way, at the worst possible time. OK, now onto a positive story:

British girl saved tourists thanks to school lesson

LONDON (Reuters) - A 10-year-old British girl saved 100 other tourists from the Asian tsunami having warned them a giant mass of water was on its way after learning about the phenomenon weeks earlier at school.

"I was on the beach and the water started to go funny," Tilly Smith told the Sun at the weekend from Phuket, Thailand.

"There were bubbles and the tide went out all of a sudden. I recognised what was happening and had a feeling there was going to be a tsunami. I told mummy."

While other holidaymakers stood and stared as the disappearing waters left boats and fish stranded on the sands, Tilly recognised the danger signs because she had done a school project on giant waves caused by underwater earthquakes.

Quick action by Tilly's mother and Thai hotel staff meant Maikhao beach was quickly cleared, just minutes before a huge wave crashed ashore. The beach was one of the few on the Thai island of Phuket where no was killed. (full story on Yahoo! - http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050102/80/f9j03.html)