Man completely unaware he was filming first waves of tragic tsunami that went on to kill 220,000 people
A man had no idea that he was capturing a tragic moment in history while filming his mates on holiday.
It's been quite commonplace for people in the 21st century to document what they get up to on their travels, but this eerie clip was unknowingly shot during the Indian Ocean tsunami back in 2004.
The tragic event cost the lives of over 220,000 people in South and Southeast Asia, as the result of a harrowing 9.2–9.3 magnitude undersea earthquake that took place off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
In the 21 years since, simulations have been made to highlight how severe the impact of the natural disaster was, while other people's snaps from their perspectives on the shore have also become infamous.
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While this isn't the only chilling clip of the disaster, it is a terrifying watch while knowing what comes next, have a look:
What was shown in the video?
A group of travellers can be seen enjoying their southeast Asian getaway in the video, completely oblivious to the fact that they were witnessing the start of one of the biggest natural disasters that the world has ever seen.
Julian Hadden was the Brit behind the camera when he was documenting his group's holiday on a beach in Koh Ngai, Thailand.
The water then started to move oddly on that fateful Boxing Day in 2004.
In the video, a man explains that they're on a 'paradise island' near the island of Sumatra, as the group planned to go caving that morning before being told not to.
Apparently the group 'just about booked it' when they were told that it wasn't safe to venture out due to the huge waves that were forming.
"Big issue, don't go," someone warned them.
The water could be seen washing large parts of the beach and while the group didn't know what was going on, they started to pack their items as a wave knocked over one of their chairs.
They also observed a boat that was near the shore, as it was being rocked back and forth as someone shouted to 'abandon ship', while someone pointed out a 'big one' when eyeing up the increasingly menacing waves.
Tragic story of tsunami
The 9+ magnitude earthquake hit the Indian Ocean before 8am that morning, which caused a 100ft-tall tsunami that hit the coasts of several nearby countries, with Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand getting the worst of it.
Bangladesh, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, and Singapore also felt the movement of the quake.
It was the third largest earthquake ever recorded, as it lasted 10 minutes and produced the same energy as thousands of atomic bombs.
As tsunamis devastated nearby shores, it left 227,898 tourists and locals dead in its wake, while over 1.7 million people were left with no homes.
Julian wrote on YouTube that 'all of us featured in this video are still alive', adding that they were on the 'landward side' of Koh Ngai, meaning they were safe from a direct hit.
Why do waves go back before a tsunami?
A tsunami takes place when the water mass of the ocean is displaced, which can be caused by earthquakes or underwater volcanic eruptions.
Waves are then made by the tsunami, which can measure up to 200km.
According to the National Oceanography Centre, the water goes up and builds a large wave before the tsunami hits, because it is like a tide.
The tide goes out before coming back in, coming down with more force and normal due to the height at which these waves crash.
As the tsunami makes its way to the shore, water is drawn back and essentially feeds the wave, building it up further.
In contrast to the tide going out, which takes place over several hours, a tsunami's impact is short enough to do the same in minutes, with ample amounts of energy.
Tsunamis are normal waves at the end of the day, but their features are much larger and more severe.
Topics: Travel, World News, YouTube
Joshua Nair