A Witham couple who survived the Indian Ocean tsunami plan to raise £1m to help the recovery effort.

Lucky to be alive - John Carrell and Jacqui Thompson today. (40171-2)

Jacqui Thompson and John Carrell, of Bantock Way, were on a "holiday of a lifetime", spending Christmas in Sri Lanka, when the earthquake struck.

Jacqui was asleep in the beach bungalow the couple were staying in near Galle when the wave struck on Boxing Day.

"John looked out of the door and saw the seas was choppy," Jacqui said.

"Then he saw the wave and just slammed and bolted the door, but the water came in underneath.

"I jumped out of bed, but before we knew it the whole room exploded with water and debris.

"John was pinned against the door and I just held on to the bed, which was fixed to the floor.

"After the water washed away the door was jammed, but John somehow found the strength to get it open and we got out and ran.

"It was complete pandemonium in the hotel, everyone was trying to get to high ground.

"I was running around naked, and wrapped myself in a tablecloth."

The couple spent the night in a Buddhist temple with all the tourists from the hotel, scared at the prospect of aftershocks.

They were taken in a bus to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Monday and flew home on Tuesday night.

Jacqui said: "Like us, the Sri Lankans didn't know what had happened, but the people were amazing.

"They organised transport and got food and clothing for us, when they had their own families to worry about.

"A man from the village next to where we were staying said there were 500 people dead there.

"When we realised the scale of the disaster, we thought how lucky we are to be alive. But to come back home and do nothing seems wrong."

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Published Thursday, December 30, 2004

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