- Messages
- 20,228
Super League star escapes tsunami
We had decided to go back to Phi Phi beach on Boxing Day - but decided to have a lie-in instead
Stuart Fielden
Rugby league star Stuart Fielden is back in England after narrowly escaping the tsunami disaster in Thailand.
GB and Bradford forward Fielden and his friend, Keighley Cougars player Danny Ekis, were staying on the island of Phuket when the disaster struck.
"My bed started shaking but I never even dreamed it was an earthquake.
"We were lucky our hotel was five minutes from the beach and wasn't flooded. We were pretty lucky and just so thankful we got away unscathed."
Fielden revealed he had been swimming and diving around the island of Phi Phi, badly hit by the tsunami, the previous day and had planned to return the following morning.
"We were lucky to be on the beach when we were, the previous day, and it struck when we weren't there.
"It was a beautiful place and we had decided to return on Boxing Day, but decided to have a lie-in instead.
"If we had gone we would have been landing on the island just about the time the wave struck."
The pair, now back in England, had originally hoped to stay in sea-front hotel but had to settle for one further back and initially did not realise the extent of the disaster.
"It was only later when Danny had gone down for breakfast that he shouted me to come and have a look.
"In reception there was a family who were all bashed up, bleeding and whose skin had been ripped off."
One of the top props in the Super League, Fielden joined the Bulls in 1998.
The Great Britain international missed much of last season with a knee injury but returned to play his part in Great Britain's Tri Nations series this autumn, which ended in disappointment against Australia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/4142411.stm
****
What a lucky break...
We had decided to go back to Phi Phi beach on Boxing Day - but decided to have a lie-in instead
Stuart Fielden
Rugby league star Stuart Fielden is back in England after narrowly escaping the tsunami disaster in Thailand.
GB and Bradford forward Fielden and his friend, Keighley Cougars player Danny Ekis, were staying on the island of Phuket when the disaster struck.
"My bed started shaking but I never even dreamed it was an earthquake.
"We were lucky our hotel was five minutes from the beach and wasn't flooded. We were pretty lucky and just so thankful we got away unscathed."
Fielden revealed he had been swimming and diving around the island of Phi Phi, badly hit by the tsunami, the previous day and had planned to return the following morning.
"We were lucky to be on the beach when we were, the previous day, and it struck when we weren't there.
"It was a beautiful place and we had decided to return on Boxing Day, but decided to have a lie-in instead.
"If we had gone we would have been landing on the island just about the time the wave struck."
The pair, now back in England, had originally hoped to stay in sea-front hotel but had to settle for one further back and initially did not realise the extent of the disaster.
"It was only later when Danny had gone down for breakfast that he shouted me to come and have a look.
"In reception there was a family who were all bashed up, bleeding and whose skin had been ripped off."
One of the top props in the Super League, Fielden joined the Bulls in 1998.
The Great Britain international missed much of last season with a knee injury but returned to play his part in Great Britain's Tri Nations series this autumn, which ended in disappointment against Australia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/4142411.stm
****
What a lucky break...
