Child of the Year
27 Dec 2005
11 year old, Tilly Smith, didn’t know that lessons in geography would help her save lives. Last December, she was one of many caught on the beach of Phuket Island, Thailand before the tsunami hit. She not only saved herself but at least 100 others.
Tilly had been taking a walk on the beach that day with her family. She began to notice signs of an approaching tsunami. She’d only learned the signs a couple of weeks before winter vacation. She alerted her family and hotel staff–and they took her seriously! The beach was evacuated just before the tsunami hit.
Thanks to Tilly’s people found safety. Because of her quick thinking, a French children’s magazine honored her as “Child of the Year”.
5,400 people lost their lives that day in Thailand.
