Aussie father fights to survive and heal after losing son to tsunami
Boxing Day 2004 started as a serene tropical morning for an Australian father, his wife, and their 16 year old son in a beachfront hotel in Phuket. But in moments, tranquillity gave way to catastrophe.
“We were admiring the view, and all of a sudden, the water disappeared.”
What seemed like an intriguing phenomenon – fish floundering on the exposed seabed – soon became a nightmare. Curious onlookers flocked to the shore, unaware that 550 kilometres away, a 9.15-magnitude earthquake had unleashed a monstrous tsunami.
As the ocean roared back with walls of water up to 30 metres high, 67 year old Aussie, Joe Giardina, tried desperately to protect his son, Paul, who had Down’s syndrome. Holding his son against a hotel pillar, Giardina was swept away by the sheer force of the wave.
“The last thing I recall is opening my mouth underwater. The lights went off.”
Tragically, Paul was among 26 Australians killed in the disaster, which claimed over 230,000 lives across 14 countries.
Giardina miraculously survived, found headfirst on a staircase with his lungs filled with sand. His wife, Evanna, swept to a hotel balcony, was reunited with him unscathed. Despite extensive injuries and the devastating loss of their son, the couple found solace in recovering their son’s body.
“If we hadn’t, we’d still be searching.”
Years later, the Aussie father helped create the Indian Ocean Tsunami Memorial in Canberra, a wave-shaped tribute overlooking the water, symbolising loss and resilience. Returning to Phuket often, he refuses to let the tsunami define his family’s story.
“We had 16 beautiful years with Paul. Life is what it is. You learn to live with the pain, but you appreciate every day.”
Today, the Giardinas will visit the memorial again, cherishing their son’s memory while finding strength in his enduring spirit, reported inkl.
Another survivor of the tsunami 20 years ago remembers the tragic death of his brother whilst the British pair were on a Christmas break on Koh Phi Phi.
