The wave hit.. and was coming right at us

Disaster survivor remembers death wave's destructive force

-  SAFFRON OTTER and JULIA BANIM

ON Boxing Day 2004, monster waves as high as 100 feet surged across the Indian Ocean at terrifying speeds after a massive 9.1 magnitude earthquake off Indonesia.

The tsunami, 20 years ago today, wiped away communities and killed around 228,000 people across 14 countries, including Thailand. At least 150 Britons lost their lives.

Here, survivor Luke Simon recalls the day his life changed for ever...

A a panicked crowd of holidaymakers desperately ran through the back kitchen of a cafe on Thailand's Ko Phi Phi resort, Luke Simon initially thought a gunman was on the loose.

Bracing himself, Luke even considered the idea that people were running from a rabid dog. He hadn't yet caught sight of the 100ft wave racing towards him.

The tsunami caused one of the largest natural disasters in recorded history, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives and Thailand sustaining massive damage.

Luke was then 30 years old, working as a PE teacher in Thailand with his girlfriend Sophie. His brother Piers, from Chilthorne Domer in Somerset, and some friends had joined him on holiday.