Rising Above the Wave: A True Story of Survival

Imagine being trapped with thousands of sharp objects in a giant washing machine spinning at high speed and being forced to hold your breath until your lungs threaten to burst. That's what it is like to experience the effects of a tsunami firsthand. In Rising Above the Wave, author and sailor Ed Muesch chronicles his and his wife Helen's terrifying experience resulting from the tsunami on December 26, 2004, at Phi Phi Don Island in Thailand. Ed and Helen were walking the beach that fateful day when they spotted a white foam line on the horizon. Unable to outrun the wave, they stood firm and bear hugged until they were buried beneath it. Swept underwater, across the island, and out to sea, they were miraculously rescued by a Thai fisherman. Helen was unconscious after the first wave and barely survived. Their survival on Black Sunday is overshadowed by Ed's guilt over his inability to save those struggling in the sea around him. Hearing them calling for help and watching them die haunts him daily. Relive this unforgettable experience and Ed's ongoing effort to overcome the effects of this life-changing event, estimated to have taken the lives of 3,000 people.