Asian tsunami survivors Scott Cowan and Jo Lindley who were on the island of Ko Phi Phi in Thailand. 6/1/5HOLIDAYMAKERS who had a miraculous escape from the Asian tsunami have described their terrifying experiences.

Several people from south Wiltshire were caught up in the Boxing Day disaster which has shocked the world.

Among them were Jo Lindley (30) and her boyfriend Scott Cowan (28), who fled for their lives when the giant wave approached their beach bungalow on the tiny Thai island of Ko Phi Phi.

After scrambling to safety, brave Scott went back to the ravaged beach to help rescue a young boy who had broken both legs.

The pair also administered first aid to injured tourists.

Jo said: "I woke up at about 8am and everything was juddering, which must have been the earthquake.

"About two-and-a-half hours later I heard a loud rumble and looked out to see a slow creeping wave heading towards our room.

"I knew it was a tidal wave and we just ran."

Within seconds the water had reached them and the couple raced to a mountain behind their accommodation.

In their rush to escape, they became separated and cowered on different ledges while the 30ft wave engulfed the island.

"The noise of the water was terrible, everyone was screaming and panicking and there was nothing I could do but watch and hope Scott was alright," added Jo.

Luckily they found each other and desperately looked for somewhere higher to escape.

"Everything had been flattened," said Scott. "Our bungalow had been demolished and we had nothing left - if we had still been in there we would not have survived.

"The only place to go was the roof of a hotel."

On top of the Cabana Hotel the couple found many shocked and injured tourists.

"I did a first aid course and there were lots of blankets and first aid kits up there so I started helping people," said Jo who is a web developer for Business Link.

"They were terrified there was going to be another wave. We met someone who was on his honeymoon and had lost his wife, there were pools of blood everywhere and the people who survived all had incredible stories.

"We also saw bodies on the ground and we heard there was a little Scandinavian boy with broken legs who was still on the beach."

Scott joined a group who made a dash across the swamped sand to rescue the child and his mother.

"It was scary going down there but we managed to get him on to a stretcher and he was alright," he said.

After several hours, a boat took the stranded holidaymakers to Phuket. Jo and Scott were then taken by Hercules aircraft to Bangkok so they could fly back to Salisbury last Thursday.

"We were lucky," said Scott, a landscape gardener who had his birthday the day after the disaster.

"All the beautiful places we visited have been destroyed and so many of the people we met had lost someone.

"We are shaken and upset but just glad to be home."