A Whatcom County resident survived the deadliest tsunami in recorded history when she was just 13 years old. Now, 19 years after the disaster, she’s telling her story.
Monica Connelly was vacationing on a beach in Thailand with her parents on Dec. 26, 2004, when the Indian Ocean Tsunami, also known as the Boxing Day Tsunami, struck the shore.
It killed almost 230,000 people — including both of Connelly’s parents — and displaced 1.7 million others after it hit coastlines in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand.
When the tsunami first hit, Connelly ran but was quickly swept up by the force of the water. Then she was swimming. She said her survival instincts kicked in.
“For the most part, there was no time to process things, to feel things, or even to feel fear,” Connelly said.
She struggled to get her bearings underwater as she tried to reach the surface. Connelly was unable to breathe and her whole body was in pain, she said.
“During that whole time, thoughts come to my mind just guiding me on what to do. I don’t even think about it, I just obey it. And it was only afterward that I feel like this was God guiding me,” Connelly said.
She managed to reach the surface but passed out from exhaustion. When she woke up, she found the strength to hold onto a nearby cable between two trees. The water eventually receded, people started showing up to help survivors, and a stranger told Connelly where to go for safety — the mountains.
“I believe I met God that day and I believe it was God who saved me, ultimately, because I survived this disaster that’s still considered the deadliest tsunami in history — without a scratch on me. I was completely uninjured,” Connelly said.
Connelly said as tragic as her experience was, it was also a very spiritual one. She said she was inspired by the love people showed one another. She said it helped her to carry on by focusing on that instead of the tragedy.
“There was a lot of chaos surrounding it but there was a lot of love, too. People were truly loving on each other,” Connelly said. “You had people from all nationalities, all different backgrounds and cultures, even speaking different languages. But none of it mattered. There were people heading toward the beach risking their lives just because someone might be out there.”
“Surviving A Tsunami At Thirteen: A Memoir” was published in the fall and details her experience. She said writing it was helpful for her healing process.
“I was struggling with the question of ‘Why?’ ” Connelly said. “As I’m remembering and reliving all of this, I start noticing that there is a lot that I can learn from this.”
Connelly hopes her story inspires others and that people can learn from her experience.
After the tragedy, Connelly went on to live with family in Portugal. She eventually met her husband in Ireland and moved with him to the United States. They now have two children and live in Birch Bay.
On the anniversary of the tsunami every year, Connelly goes to the beach and throws flowers in the water to honor her parents. She visited the water in Birch Bay on Tuesday with her children, marking 19 years since the tragedy.
