Thame Woman Speaks Of Her Family’s Tsunami Escape

A THAME woman has spoken of her anguish and relief after her son and daughter-in-law had a dramatic escape from the tsunami that hit Sri Lanka on Boxing Day.
Mrs Nina Oakman, of Mitchell Close, Thame, was so grateful to a Tangalla taxi driver who took her daughter and son-on-law into his home after their escape, that she has decided to raise money to build a school in the area. Mrs Oakman told ThameNews.Net how her 27 year-old son Ben and his wife Hannah jumped into their jeep and sped inland when they saw the giant wave approaching the beach at Tangalla, in Sri Lanka.
They managed to get up to a first floor balcony of a hotel where they stood and watched as the other balconies around them collapsed. They managed to get to a road where a taxi picked them up with 9 other people who were then taken by the driver to the safety of his home.
Mrs Oakman took up the story: ?The taxi driver fed and clothed them for two days and his whole family even gave up their beds to them. He then hired a car to take them to Colombia airport from where they returned to England.
?That man was a complete stranger and yet he did so much for Ben and Hannah and the others. I want to do something for him and his community.?
Ben and Hannah had sold up their home in Bristol and intended to stay for four months back packing in Sri Lanka. Three weeks later they have found themselves homeless and have lost all their personal belongings.
After spending a week with Nina in Thame, they have now gone to stay with Hannah?s mother in Cardiff for a week to continue their recovery.
Nina Oakman has spoken to the Mayor of Thame, Cllr David Dodds, about the town council supporting her efforts to raise money for a school and as a trained Reflexologist, she intends to set up a practice in her home as a way of raising money herself.