Petra Nemcova Reflects on 2004 Tsunami Survival 20 Years Later: “It’s Still Difficult to Discuss”

Supermodel Petra Nemcova opens up about surviving the devastating 2004 tsunami.

Twenty years after surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, supermodel Petra Nemcova reflects on the traumatic event that changed her life forever. On December 26, 2004, the then 25-year-old Nemcova and her boyfriend, fashion photographer Simon Atlee, were vacationing in Khao Lak, Thailand, when a 9.5-magnitude earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami.

Atlee was swept away and later found deceased, while Nemcova clung to a palm tree for eight hours, sustaining a fractured pelvis and severe internal injuries. “It’s always difficult to go back to that moment when my life changed,” Nemcova told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer in a heartfelt interview.

 

She described the emotional toll of hearing children’s screams as the tsunami struck, unable to help. “That pain is strongly with me every single day,” she said.

After her miraculous survival, Nemcova founded the Happy Hearts Fund in 2005, now part of All Hands and Hearts, which rebuilds schools and homes in disaster-stricken areas. “Hearing children screaming for help and not being able to help them leaves such a powerful mark,” Nemcova shared. “Today and every day, I have a choice to help.”

The supermodel also faced her fears by scuba diving during a return trip to Thailand in 2005 to honor Atlee’s memory. “It’s very important not to live a life of fear,” she said.

Now a mother to son Bodhi and married to entrepreneur Benjamin Larretche, Nemcova continues to light the way for others. On the tsunami’s 20th anniversary, she plans to light candles with All Hands and Hearts volunteers to honor the nearly 230,000 lives lost.

“I feel so lucky because I didn’t know if happiness was going to happen again,” she said, reflecting on her life’s blessings and ongoing mission to bring light to the world.