Quake fails to dent tsunami survivors | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

A young boy and his family who hit world headlines nearly six years ago with their story of miraculous survival have done it again.

Kathryn Morgan, daughter of Masterton couple Robert and Sydney Thurston, her husband Brent and their children Willie, 6, and Mackenzie, 4, emerged unscathed from their Christchurch home as the city's largest earthquake wreaked havoc early on Saturday.

Sheltering one child each as the huge quake caused their Rolleston home to creak and groan, brought wall ornaments crashing down and spilled the contents of their cupboards on to the floor, Kathryn and Brent's thoughts flashed back to Boxing Day 2004, when but for the grace of God they would have lost their son Willie to the sea, and perhaps their own lives.

On that day the Kiwi couple and Willie were swept away in a giant tsunami as they sat on a beach in the Seychelles off Africa's east coast.

Willie was only a babe in arms and was plucked from his mother's grip as she fought for their lives in the broiling sea.

Somehow Kathryn and Brent managed to separately struggle ashore and, although reunited, were distraught over the fate of Willie.

Miraculously, amid the chaos and confusion of the tsunami's aftermath, a woman told the frantic parents she could remember seeing a wee baby, and a desperate search began.

Willie was found wedged in a tree nearly upside down, 1.5m from the ground, unhurt apart from a few scratches.

At that time Kathryn - a former deputy head girl at Wairarapa College - had been an assistant school principal in Kuwait, but the family returned to New Zealand in 2006.

On Saturday Kathryn said they had been asleep when the huge quake struck.

"Our home is under a flightpath into Christchurch International Airport and when I first heard the noise I thought it's a 'bit bloody early', it was only 4am.

"Then the noise picked up - it was incredible - the rocking started and all hell broke loose."

Kathryn said Mackenzie had crawled into her parents' bed during the night and when the quake struck she grabbed the little girl and retreated into a strongly built, walk-in wardrobe.

"It was pitch-black and I sat in there with Mackenzie, singing to her to try and keep her calm as stuff smashed and the house crackled and crunched."

Meanwhile Brent had made a beeline for Willie's room, being battered and bruised as he was flung side to side down the corridor only to find the little boy asleep. He remained so throughout the frightening experience.

As daylight broke and aftershocks kept the earth trembling, Kathryn and Brent surveyed the damage.

The house was structurally sound but household goods lay broken on the floor, including most of the memorabilia they had collected on their overseas travels.

"Although that was heartbreaking, we were not injured."

Kathryn said thoughts of the tsunami had flashed through her mind as she sat in the darkened wardrobe.

"I thought 'this is exactly like sitting on that bloody hill in the Seychelles just after the tsunami'."

Kathryn, who is acting assistant principal at Darfield High School, said she was aware things "come in threes" but believes that quota may well have been met.

"We were in Indonesia during political riots that broke out leading up to an election,"she said.