[imagesource: Vise Lavaki]
The undersea Tongan volcano eruption, said to have been as intense as 650 Hiroshima bombs, resulted in a number of devastating tsunamis.
Between the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano eruption and tsunami, every living and inanimate object on the Tongan islands was covered in either ash or water.
But one 57-year-old Tongan man has been hailed as the “real-life Aquaman,” after apparently swimming for more than 27 hours to save himself from the waves that wrecked his village.
Now Lisala Folau (above) from Atatā Island is a global sensation for doing the seemingly impossible.
Almost as soon as Folau was alerted about the tsunami by his brother late on Saturday, while he was painting his home, he was swept out to sea by a massive wave.
He managed to climb a tree but was knocked back into the water again, where he swam for more than an entire day before reaching the main island of Tongatapu late on Sunday evening.
For some more perspective, the Atatā island is around eight kilometres from Tongatapu.
More impressively, Folau says he has limited function in his legs due to a disability, per The Independent:
“I left everything and try to escape but bear in mind that I am disabled,” he was quoted as saying by Australia-based newspaper The Age.
“I can’t walk properly, both my legs are not working properly and when I can, I believe a baby can walk faster than I.
“So I just floated, bashed around by the big waves that kept coming. It stayed with my mind if I can cling to a tree or anything and if anything happens and I lose my life, searchers may find me and my family can view my dead body.”
The Greek Reporter mentioned that Folau’s heroic swim led to many Tongans calling him “a legend”.
The 59 other residents from Atatā island have already been evacuated by the United Nations
The tsunami snapped communication lines in the area, destroyed hundreds of homes, and killed three people.
But Lisala Folau seems to have just floated past the dangers he faced on his long swim.
[sources:independent&greekreporter]
