By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Oct 15, 2007, 10:37 GMT
(M&C) - A British woman has told of her incredible 16 hour ordeal clinging to a ledge of a cave in Thailand after she had watched her fiance swept away to his death.
Cave flood survivor, Helena Card from England receives medical treatment on an ambulance van as she is recued from cave flash flooding at Surat Thani province southern Thailand, 14 October 2007.The sudden flooding from heavy rainfalls quickly flooded in the cave in Khao Sok national park, Surat Thani killed at least six German tourists, including three children, and their two Thai guides, park officials said Sunday. EPA/STR THAILAND OUT
Helena Carroll, 21, of Solihull, West Midlands told reporters her fiance John Cullen, 24, was one of eight people killed when a freak wave washed away tourists exploring the cave complex in Khao Sok national park, southern Thailand on the weekend.
"One minute I was in what I thought was the most beautiful place in the world. The next thing there is death all around me," she said.
Speaking of her last moments with her fiance she said, "As we climbed I slipped but John grabbed me. We kept climbing higher and found a ledge. We were all alone in the dark. We could not see anything as all the torches had gone."
"John said 'If we stay here, we're going to die'. I said we should stay. But he thought the current would take him out, then he could bring help to rescue me. He slipped into the water and that's the last I ever saw of him."
Ms Carroll clung to the ledge shouting for help for 16 hours before being rescued by searchers. Apart from Mr Cullen, two guides, a family of four and a 10-year-old boy were swept away in the flood caused by recent heavy rainfall.
Your Talkback on this Story