Girl Thought to be Lost in Tsunami Found

**Mr_Darkness** · 12-22-2011, 04:54 PM

An 8-year-old girl who was swept away from her mother's arms during the 2004 tsunami that hit Indonesia has been found alive and reunited with her parents, according to the Indonesian state news agency Antara.

The girl, who was identified by state news only as Wati, now 15, was reportedly discovered nearly seven years after the tsunami devastated the coastlines of Asia.

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of between 9.1 to 9.3 strikes the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, and triggered a deadly tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Wati was in the village of Ujong Baroh when flood waters came crashing in.

"Her mother, Yusniar, was trying to take her and her two siblings to a safe place, but somehow she lost her grip on her mother's arm and was carried away by the rushing waters, leaving her mother powerless to help her," the state news agency said. "Yusniar was able to save her two other children, but she and the rest of the family eventually had to resign themselves to the notion that Wati was lost as she never returned nor had anybody in the neighborhood seen her again dead or alive."

The now teenage Wati was spotted in a coffee shop near her home in West Aceh, Indonesia.

She said that "she had come [there] by bus from Banda Aceh and was trying to find her way back home but did not know how. She also could not remember any of her parents' or relatives' names except Ibrahim," according to Antara.

She was sitting in silence in the coffee shop, assumed to be a beggar, the news agency reported.

Later that day, Wati and someone she met showed up at a man's house.

His name? Ibrahim.

"After listening to the acquaintances account, Ibrahim immediately sensed the girl could be his long-lost grandchild and, after a closer look at the dark-skinned girl, was indeed convinced she was Wati who went missing in the tsunami seven years ago," the news agency reported.

Ibrahim called her parents to immediately come meet her, according to the agency, and the parents confirmed it was their daughter because of a small mole and scar that she had as a child.

Antara said they were told no other details about what happened to the girl when she was swept away other than she had been in several areas throughout Indonesia's Aceh province after the tsunami.

Report: Girl thought to be swept away during tsunami found alive – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs

**Mr_Darkness** · 12-22-2011, 08:33 PM

I can't believe no one has commented on this.

**nowobscure** · 12-25-2011, 02:55 PM

Holy Hell-having two daughters myself I cant imagine the pain of losing one from my grasp. its good to hear she somehow found her way back. good story

**senhuan** · 12-25-2011, 05:07 PM

I wonder if she really is their daughter. Forgive me for being cynical, but turning up at the home village 7 years later and with a man (boss-charlatan?) is a little suspicious. The scars could be wishful thinking. And at 8 years old not remembering her parents names? That is really suspicious. I really hope that it is their daughter. And I fucking hate con artistes. They usually work in pairs when working with a child. A master and an actor.

**nowobscure** · 12-25-2011, 07:01 PM

I was thinking the same thing Sen....but a young girl at the age of 8 I'm sure she was taken advantage of & put to work if you read between the lines on what I'm saying. I would thing a parent would know their kid even after so many years. sadly the only thing we can do as readers is hope

Ya'll have a happy & safe new year

**senhuan** · 12-25-2011, 07:32 PM

Yeah... if the parents had to rely on a birthmark and a scar to identify her... does not look good. But they might be so lost and sad and hopeful that it makes them blind. And charlatans often use this to their advantage.