BANGKOK, Thailand – A German statesman, a Czech supermodel and a Swedish Olympic ski champion were among the vacationers whose search for peace and sun in tropical southern Asia was shattered by tsunamis that spared neither rich nor poor.
Petra Nemcova – who appeared on the cover of the 2003 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue – was carried away with her boyfriend, fashion photographer Simon Atlee, after a huge wave plowed into southern Thailand on Sunday.
Nemcova, 25, clung to a tree for eight hours as the water swirled around her. She was recovering in a Thai hospital from broken bones and unspecified internal injuries. Atlee, 33, was still missing Tuesday.
Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl was on vacation in Sri Lanka’s pristine south, one of the areas most devastated by tsunamis. Kohl and his entourage were evacuated Tuesday from a hotel by the Sri Lankan air force.
Swedish skiing great Ingemar Stenmark – who won two gold medals at the 1980 Olympics and 86 World Cup races – was sunbathing in Khok Kloi, Thailand, when he saw an immense wave roaring to shore. He ran for his life and escaped uninjured.
Another athlete wasn’t so lucky. Troy Broadbridge, an Australian rules football player, was on his honeymoon in Phuket when he and his bride were swamped as they strolled along a beach. Trisha Broadbridge was safe, but he was still missing Tuesday.
Thailand’s royal family also were among the grieving. The Thai-American grandson of King Bhumipol Adulyadej, Poom Jensen, 21, was reportedly jet skiing when the tidal wave struck Phuket. His body was found later.
Designer Nate Berkus, a regular contributor on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” was carried away with a friend by a tsunami after it ripped off the roof of their hut in Sri Lanka.
They briefly clung to a telephone poll, but a second wave ripped them away. Berkus climbed to safety on the roof of a submerged home but his friend disappeared into the sea.
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