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Vancouver couple dies in tsunami, their camera survives

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Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Originally posted by: conjur

Well, this looks a bit more than an above-average wave.
Click to expand...

It's hard to tell from a picture that gives you nothing to compare it with. I think the videos demonstrate it pretty well since you see how everything unfolds.

People tend to think it's a single gigantic wave that breaks and destroys everything in one swift instant. But it's not- it's more of a quick rise in water level, a flash flood.

At first the water level drops and people are curious and walk down to the water's edge. Then the waves on the beach start coming up slightly higher than normal and people stand around wondering what's going on. Then the water is at their ankles and they are confused, but not afraid yet. But it keeps rising, and by the time they're afraid it's already too late. The water continues to rise and spill over everything and nobody can escape in time.

Watch this video and see how it unfolds. The water keep rising for about 2 minutes, and I'm guessing that he started filming it only after he knew something was up.


video
Click to expand...
And this is the 2nd wave, after the first wave hit & receeded.
 
Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Originally posted by: conjur

Well, this looks a bit more than an above-average wave.
Click to expand...

It's hard to tell from a picture that gives you nothing to compare it with. I think the videos demonstrate it pretty well since you see how everything unfolds.

People tend to think it's a single gigantic wave that breaks and destroys everything in one swift instant. But it's not- it's more of a quick rise in water level, a flash flood.

At first the water level drops and people are curious and walk down to the water's edge. Then the waves on the beach start coming up slightly higher than normal and people stand around wondering what's going on. Then the water is at their ankles and they are confused, but not afraid yet. But it keeps rising, and by the time they're afraid it's already too late. The water continues to rise and spill over everything and nobody can escape in time.

Watch this video and see how it unfolds. The water keep rising for about 2 minutes, and I'm guessing that he started filming it only after he knew something was up.


video
Click to expand...

I've seen various videos. Some have larger waves crashing in and others show like a hurricane storm surge. It depends on the area, the slope of the land, etc.

But, that link I posted above shows an ENORMOUSLY large breaking wave compared to the normal surf in front of it.
 
Wow. Look at how far the water receeded in the first pic.

There's people just standing around in the mud like "where the hell is the ocean going?"
 
Originally posted by: conjur

But, that link I posted above shows an ENORMOUSLY large breaking wave compared to the normal surf in front of it.
Click to expand...

The wave in the picture you posted does look very big, but it doesn't have anything around for a size reference, so we can't say how big it is for sure. For all we know, the waves could always be nearly that size all the time, who knows.

Some places have giant waves all the time.

Text
 
Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Originally posted by: conjur

But, that link I posted above shows an ENORMOUSLY large breaking wave compared to the normal surf in front of it.
Click to expand...

The wave in the picture you posted does look very big, but it doesn't have anything around for a size reference, so we can't say how big it is for sure. For all we know, the waves could always be nearly that size all the time, who knows.

Some places have giant waves all the time.

Text
Click to expand...
Uhh...it has the normal surf in front of it.
 
Originally posted by: MantisFistMonk
Wow. Look at how far the water receeded in the first pic.

There's people just standing around in the mud like "where the hell is the ocean going?"
Click to expand...
Didn't they see Deep Impact?
 
Originally posted by: conjur

Uhh...it has the normal surf in front of it.
Click to expand...

That is definitely not the normal surf, that is wind driven ripples breaking on the water.

If you look at the foreground of the picture you can see that it's very shallow water, so the waves there would be very small. I'm at the ocean all the time, doesn't look very out of the ordinary to me. You don't go to the ocean much in Kentucky? (hahaha)

 

am i the only wondering how/why the saltwater didn't damage the disk (compact flash, memory stick, xD, etc)...

I would have thought for sure that would have been instant death to any images that were stored on it...

is there any chance that camera was not submerged or something?
 
i think it was pretty easy to underestimate the waves from a distance. once the wave broke though, they realized they were fvcked and gave up
 
Originally posted by: Snagle
[
um....maybe that giant wave swallowed them up?
Click to expand...

The camera was just pointing in a different direction. The boats were probably still floating.

In the aftermath photos taken shortly after the disaster, there were boats all over the place while the land was destroyed. The boats simply float on top of the waves.
 
Originally posted by: 91TTZ
Originally posted by: Snagle
[
um....maybe that giant wave swallowed them up?
Click to expand...

The camera was just pointing in a different direction. The boats were probably still floating.

In the aftermath photos taken shortly after the disaster, there were boats all over the place while the land was destroyed. The boats simply float on top of the waves.
Click to expand...


Id have been heading for a boat byself

 
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