Lessons save lives: the story of Tilly Smith

You can find a better version here:
http://youtu.be/V0s2i7Cc7wA

Tilly Smith, an eleven-year-old schoolgirl was on holiday in Thailand with her family when the tsunami hit in December 2004. She recognized the signs of the receding sea and warned her parents of the impending tsunami, which led to hotel guests being rapidly cleared from the beach and saved the life of dozens of people. Tilly's story highlights the critical importance of basic education in preventing the tragic impacts of natural disasters.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ISDR
• Disaster
• reduction
• tsunami
• tilly
• smith

[pajko83]

She speaks like a much older person. She is so smart. I still can't believe this is a 12-13 year old girl. She is smarter then most of my friends and colleagues and I'm 25. Myself included in this group..

[divakaranmullath]

exellent work tilly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dcs002]

BTW, I am getting psychiatric help, and my psychiatrist has a large framed portrait of J.K. Rowling in her clinic (as Rowling also has a psychiatric disorder, and she is open about it) and a Harry Potter poster in her office. She's about 10 years older than I am. Lots of adults love the Harry Potter books! That's why in the UK there is a children's edition and an adult edition of each book!

Given Tilly's position that day, wouldn't you have done what she did? I would. Are you a hero? I'm not.

[dcs002]

@TheColincm I think it's unfair to tell a child she did something heroic when she acted normally. It might teach the child that 1) she lives in a world of people who don't care enough about her or each other to do even the simple thing that she did, or 2) that she is somehow better than others and therefore worth more as a person than others. Either cynicism or arrogance - both lead to loneliness. I'm glad she seems to have avoided such misery. Again, does it help her to call her a heroine?

[TheColincm]

@dcs002 I think you are being very unfair to Tilly...she IS a heroine,showing great presence of mind in a crisis:she had to shake her mother up by walking off ! By the way,don't patronize Tilly: I see that you're 45 and like Harry Potter.....seek psychiatric help !

[becca98002]

MY NAMES TILLY!!!!:D

[dcs002]

Is she a heroine? Given what she'd learned in school, would anyone not have done what she did? (And it seems what she did was disagree with her mom and walk off.) I suppose we need our heroes, especially when disaster strikes, and her actions saved a lot of lives, but she is just a young girl who acted like a young girl. Does it help her to elevate her above that status? I really don't think so, and I'm glad she's humble about it.

[TheColincm]

@tSp289 A very good observation in every respect !

[tSp289]

The biggest problem (after lack of education) is disbelief. You see the signs but think "haha, yeah right". You then may change your mind but you have lost vital seconds. I think that being a kid and perhaps more imaginative than her parents made her more inclined to believe her eyes.

I know if I saw frothing waves and a receding sea - without the influence of the news footage of 2004 and 2011 tsunamis - I would probably assume I was overreacting or wrong.

[actionmanhere]

I have just come back from Thailand and had to see this video as Tilly is still a heroine there and everyone still talks about this amazing girl and the lives that she saved.

[MentyEsquire]

@NinkaPanda haha I lol'd

[NinkaPanda]

Lol Tilly's mum is a twat.