After being washed out to sea after Saturday’s horrific tsunami following a volcano eruption, a 57-year-old Tongan man said he swam for roughly 27 hours. He has been dubbed a “real-life Aquaman.”
About the incident
When the waves hit land around 7 p.m. on Saturday, Lisala Folau, who lived on the small, isolated island of Atata, was swept out to sea.
Folau stated he was painting his house when his brother called to inform him about the tsunami. The waves had swept across his lounge in no time. To get away, he climbed up a tree, but as he got down, another large wave took him away.
The 57-year-old claims to be crippled and unable to walk normally.
Interview of Lisala Folau
In a radio interview with Tongan media organization Broadcom Broadcasting, he claimed, “I just floated, pummelling around by the massive waves that kept coming.”
Folau claimed that he stayed afloat and swam 7.5 kilometers to Tongatapu’s main island. He arrived at the beach 27 hours later, around 10 p.m. on Sunday.
The story of Folau has become popular on social media. “Real life Aquaman,” one user said. “He’s a legend,” wrote another.
Brief on Atata
Atata, which has a population of about 60 people, is located about 8 kilometers northwest of Nuku’alofa, Tonga’s capital, or a 30-minute boat ride away. The tsunami has nearly completely wrecked the island. Tongan naval ships are still scouring the smaller islands for survivors and transporting them to the bigger islands.
At least three individuals were killed when the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted on Saturday.