Thailand Phi-Phi Tsunami Dive Camp
Phi-Phi Tsunami Dive Camp
I heard about Phi-Phi Tsunami Dive Camp (Dive Camp) from my friend Dean Johnson at Infocus Asia whose camera teams covered much of the tsunami zone for the BBC among others. He said it would be easy to find the divers since they were conducting their excavation right where the ferries docked in Ton Sai Bay, Phi-Phi Island.
Phi-Phi Island appears as two separate limestone islands that jut from the Andaman Sea, however, they connect by a small isthmus of white sand known as Ton Sai Village where most businesses and residents were. This isthmus, about 1,000 feet wide, creates two gorgeous bays, Lo Dalam Bay on the north and on the south Ton Sai Bay.
The island has been voted one of the 3 most beautiful in the world and is a famed dive destination. It’s nearby sister island Phi-Phi Leh was the setting for the feature film, “The Beach,” where Leonardo Di Caprio initially finds a secret tropical utopia.
I arrived on the island, like most people, not realizing that tsunami waves had hit this tiny village from both sides like a vice. The first wave from Ton Sai Bay was 2-3 meters high and caused people to run to the north toward Lo Dalam Bay where they would have seen a huge wave 5-7 meters high rushing toward them. It was this second wave that bulldozed much of Ton Sai Village south, into the depths of Ton Sai Bay, where the divers are now working.
Finding Andrew Hewett who founded Dive Camp was not difficult since he was celebrating with the entire island at “Return to Paradise,” a carnival organized by Thai and foreign volunteers to commemorate the 6-month anniversary of the tragedy. It was an upbeat event held on Lo Dalam Bay designed to promote the island being open for business and boost local moral. I found Andrew under the local pavilion, watching from safe distance, while some of his divers blew off steam chugging a beer bong. A Thai reggae band played on the beach behind us while hundreds of young volunteers from dozens of nations danced in the sand.
I told Andrew I wanted to document the divers. He said, “No problem,” and the next day at 9 a.m. I was on a dive boat just 200 meters from shore. Below the boat in 7-14 meters of water the divers were sifting through the civilization that had been Ton Sai Village. In the morning divers brought nothing to the boat. Their efforts focused on moving large sections of buildings into nets brought to the surface in lift bags filled with air. After reaching the surface, nets were not brought to the dive boat; instead longtail boats hauled them to the beach.
For the afternoon dives I asked the teams to bring back any small items of interest. Thai diver Jack Banya brought back a Nirvana CD and a cooking pan. Isabel Foisey, from Canada, found a power drill and roll of stickers from Phi Phi Hospital. Deborah Hudson, also Canadian, found a Thai passport belonging to Ms. Wimon Ngafa whose status is unknown. Brad Synnitt, from New Zealand, came up with a complete Karaoke kit. Soon the boat was full of every item you might find in a home from teddy bears to cell phones, and it all smelled bad - a good reason not to bring anything back to the boat. Infections in skin cuts and inner ears caused by decomposing underwater debris have hampered the divers.
But, it was the chicken bones that caused the most problems. With 1,300 people still missing every bone is scrutinized and their underwater location combed thoroughly for clues. Searching a site can delay progress for a day or more, and with thousands of chicken bones on the bottom it can be frustrating. The divers found one human body under a roof truss in April and have found some remains.
On the second day, diver Moritz Wyss from Switzerland brought back a purse full of personal possessions, including bankbook, prescription pills, sunglasses, bank card, address book, and about $600 in Thai baht and American dollars. On land Andrew Hewett examined the contents. He read the name off the bank card and said, “I knew these people. I forgot that I hadn't seen them. There are so many people you use to see here everyday. I use to pass their curry stand on my way to work each morning, it was right by the hospital.”
The tsunami swept Andrew’s home into Ton Sai Bay where he dives each day. One diver found his son’s school certificate but nothing else. He, his Thai wife and their two children were lucky to survive unlike so many of their friends and neighbors. I hesitated to ask him too many questions, mostly because Dive Camp has been an all consuming project - he never sat still the entire time I was on the island. He did ask me several times to see a video I had of the tsunami hitting Phi-Phi, one that had never shown on the island before. Each time I offered to show it, his eyes would well up, and he would say, “Some other time.”
I left Phi-Phi Island on the 9 a.m. morning ferry to Phuket. Next to our boat the Dive Camp teams were loading up to head back out into Ton Sai Bay. Andrew Hewett was on the pier in his usual frenzy to make sure all runs smoothly. On the beach behind them was a 200 ton pile of debris they excavated from the bay. The divers smiled and waived to me shouting out email addresses and to forward their pictures. From my vantage on the ferry looking over Ton Sai Bay, it was clear they are on their way - returning Phi-Phi Island to paradise.
Roger Arnold
Bangkok, July 17, 2005
rogeronsafari@yahoo.com
Copyrighted Roger Arnold 2006
Roger Arnold is a photojournalist and cameraman. More of his work is available at www.rogerarnold.net
I heard about Phi-Phi Tsunami Dive Camp (Dive Camp) from my friend Dean Johnson at Infocus Asia whose camera teams covered much of the tsunami zone for the BBC among others. He said it would be easy to find the divers since they were conducting their excavation right where the ferries docked in Ton Sai Bay, Phi-Phi Island.
Phi-Phi Island appears as two separate limestone islands that jut from the Andaman Sea, however, they connect by a small isthmus of white sand known as Ton Sai Village where most businesses and residents were. This isthmus, about 1,000 feet wide, creates two gorgeous bays, Lo Dalam Bay on the north and on the south Ton Sai Bay.
The island has been voted one of the 3 most beautiful in the world and is a famed dive destination. It’s nearby sister island Phi-Phi Leh was the setting for the feature film, “The Beach,” where Leonardo Di Caprio initially finds a secret tropical utopia.
I arrived on the island, like most people, not realizing that tsunami waves had hit this tiny village from both sides like a vice. The first wave from Ton Sai Bay was 2-3 meters high and caused people to run to the north toward Lo Dalam Bay where they would have seen a huge wave 5-7 meters high rushing toward them. It was this second wave that bulldozed much of Ton Sai Village south, into the depths of Ton Sai Bay, where the divers are now working.
Finding Andrew Hewett who founded Dive Camp was not difficult since he was celebrating with the entire island at “Return to Paradise,” a carnival organized by Thai and foreign volunteers to commemorate the 6-month anniversary of the tragedy. It was an upbeat event held on Lo Dalam Bay designed to promote the island being open for business and boost local moral. I found Andrew under the local pavilion, watching from safe distance, while some of his divers blew off steam chugging a beer bong. A Thai reggae band played on the beach behind us while hundreds of young volunteers from dozens of nations danced in the sand.
I told Andrew I wanted to document the divers. He said, “No problem,” and the next day at 9 a.m. I was on a dive boat just 200 meters from shore. Below the boat in 7-14 meters of water the divers were sifting through the civilization that had been Ton Sai Village. In the morning divers brought nothing to the boat. Their efforts focused on moving large sections of buildings into nets brought to the surface in lift bags filled with air. After reaching the surface, nets were not brought to the dive boat; instead longtail boats hauled them to the beach.
For the afternoon dives I asked the teams to bring back any small items of interest. Thai diver Jack Banya brought back a Nirvana CD and a cooking pan. Isabel Foisey, from Canada, found a power drill and roll of stickers from Phi Phi Hospital. Deborah Hudson, also Canadian, found a Thai passport belonging to Ms. Wimon Ngafa whose status is unknown. Brad Synnitt, from New Zealand, came up with a complete Karaoke kit. Soon the boat was full of every item you might find in a home from teddy bears to cell phones, and it all smelled bad - a good reason not to bring anything back to the boat. Infections in skin cuts and inner ears caused by decomposing underwater debris have hampered the divers.
But, it was the chicken bones that caused the most problems. With 1,300 people still missing every bone is scrutinized and their underwater location combed thoroughly for clues. Searching a site can delay progress for a day or more, and with thousands of chicken bones on the bottom it can be frustrating. The divers found one human body under a roof truss in April and have found some remains.
On the second day, diver Moritz Wyss from Switzerland brought back a purse full of personal possessions, including bankbook, prescription pills, sunglasses, bank card, address book, and about $600 in Thai baht and American dollars. On land Andrew Hewett examined the contents. He read the name off the bank card and said, “I knew these people. I forgot that I hadn't seen them. There are so many people you use to see here everyday. I use to pass their curry stand on my way to work each morning, it was right by the hospital.”
The tsunami swept Andrew’s home into Ton Sai Bay where he dives each day. One diver found his son’s school certificate but nothing else. He, his Thai wife and their two children were lucky to survive unlike so many of their friends and neighbors. I hesitated to ask him too many questions, mostly because Dive Camp has been an all consuming project - he never sat still the entire time I was on the island. He did ask me several times to see a video I had of the tsunami hitting Phi-Phi, one that had never shown on the island before. Each time I offered to show it, his eyes would well up, and he would say, “Some other time.”
I left Phi-Phi Island on the 9 a.m. morning ferry to Phuket. Next to our boat the Dive Camp teams were loading up to head back out into Ton Sai Bay. Andrew Hewett was on the pier in his usual frenzy to make sure all runs smoothly. On the beach behind them was a 200 ton pile of debris they excavated from the bay. The divers smiled and waived to me shouting out email addresses and to forward their pictures. From my vantage on the ferry looking over Ton Sai Bay, it was clear they are on their way - returning Phi-Phi Island to paradise.
Roger Arnold
Bangkok, July 17, 2005
rogeronsafari@yahoo.com
Copyrighted Roger Arnold 2006
Roger Arnold is a photojournalist and cameraman. More of his work is available at www.rogerarnold.net
posted by Roger Arnold at 10:51 PM
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