Mom hit by tsunami has to let go of son

PHUKET, Thailand, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- An Australian woman had to choose which of her two sons to hold when they were caught by the tsunami at a beach resort in Thailand.

Jillian Searle of Perth in Western Australia thought that the older boy, 5-year-old Lachie, had died. But he turned up two hours later and told his parents that he rode out the surge of water by hanging on a door handle and doing the dog paddle.

"I knew that if I held on to both, we would all die," Searle told The Telegraph. "I had to let go of one of them and I just thought I'd better let go of the one that's the oldest."

Searle and her two sons were by the pool at the Holiday Inn in Phuket when the tsunami hit last Sunday. Her husband, Brad, had gone upstairs to their room to get something.

Brad Searle made his way downstairs after the first surge and found his wife and 2-year-old Blake. The family climbed playground equipment to get above the water.