Tsunami anniverary: Survivor's world turned upside down

I had lost my job as head of research for a career consultancy and I decided to travel around the world for a year. I wanted some time out from the rat race.

Peter, then my partner, and I had been in Thailand for three weeks when I collapsed with a burst ulcer. My consultant recommended that I went somewhere to relax for three weeks until I recovered. I opened a magazine in the hospital and found this remote island called Koh Prathong.

We had Christmas there and when I woke up on Boxing Day I could hear the windows shaking. Some Germans said it was an earthquake. I was on the beach talking to John, the resort's owner, and suddenly Peter started screaming at me from one of the bungalows. I said, "What are you yelling at? I'm just with John and he's showing me around."

By that time we were in the wave and John was hanging on to me trying to save his life. He couldn't swim and didn't survive. We hit the buildings and Peter, who was screaming, tried to pull my hand out. Then the whole building collapsed and he disappeared. I couldn't breathe and thought I was dying.

I woke up about four hours later, hanging in a tree. I'd been knocked unconscious and the clasp of my new orange swimsuit had caught on branches. I'd been badly knocked about and had broken ribs. The wave had passed between two islands next to ours, producing a tunnel effect. The force was so great it had ripped all my rings off my fingers.

Waking and seeing the devastation was horrific. All I could do was scream. There were bodies in the water, including that of a baby. I thought everyone had been killed and I was the only survivor of what I assumed had been a hurricane.

I wasn't that high up from the water and, in complete and utter shock, I climbed down from the tree. All I knew was that I was going to die. The water had taken me a long way inland and I clung on to a piece of wood. The water was very deep.

In the far distance I saw a woman who was badly injured. I was trying to get to her and she was trying to get to me. We took a couple of hours to reach a water tower. There were a few people there and eventually Peter arrived, with his ear ripped off. I thought he had died. We were in such a state of shock we could hardly speak to each other.

People said another wave was coming so we all had to get away.

There were a few Thai people with us who knew the island. It took us about six hours to get to the other side. The water was lower there and we were able to walk. It was getting dark and everyone was scared. Then we saw boats out at sea which came and rescued us and took us to the mainland. We were taken to hospital and Peter had an operation on his ear. There weren't any anaesthetics.

A week later we got back to Bangkok. All I had on was a T-shirt given to me by a Thai man who was embarrassed because I was practically naked. Peter and I were arguing because of all the stress. Everyone was. It brought out the worst in everybody. We split up because of the shock. I was expecting him to look after me and he couldn't look after himself. Then he didn't want to come travelling any more.

I went to Australia for a couple of months, but returned to England. I'd lost my dream and I wasn't that well. I had no money, either - we'd lost a lot of cash. It was only when I got back that it hit me. I tried to get a job, but I wasn't in the right state of mind.

Since the disaster, I've noticed how petty people can be. They argue over stupid things. I'm much calmer and I realise how lucky I am. I still burst into tears. I did yesterday when someone brought up the tsunami.

I will go back to Thailand. I'd like to teach English or run a school there one day. But I thought I'd better get back on my feet before I did anything for anyone else. People said, "You're so lucky; get on with your life". It's not so easy.

- INDEPENDENT