Married At First Sight star Cameron Merchant has recalled the terrifying moment he was separated from his parents during the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami.
The 40-year-old was on holiday in Thailand with his parents when the deadly natural disaster struck.
Cam revealed in a candid post shared on Instagram that during the ordeal the three family members frantically searched for each other for more than eight hours.
’20 years ago today in Patong Phuket, Thailand, I experienced something that changed my life and the lives of many others forever. “The Boxing Day tsunami,” he began.
‘One of the biggest natural disasters in history. I lost my parents for over eight hours before I was thankfully reunited in the evening.’
‘Unfortunately many others did not. More than 230,000 people lost their lives in 15 countries and I was one of the lucky ones.’
Married At First Sight star Cameron Merchant (pictured) has recalled the terrifying moment he was separated from his parents during the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami.
The 40-year-old was on holiday in Thailand with his parents when the deadly natural disaster struck.
Cam revealed that he commemorated with his family those who were affected by this year’s natural disaster.
He also shared photos of the hotel he stayed in that was completely destroyed by the tsunami.
“I took these photos at our hotel where we stayed at Patong Beach Hotel Merlin.”
“Photo 6 was supposed to be our original room I booked, but it was booked twice for one night.”
“The morning of the tsunami we moved down to check it out… (Talking about the Universe that protects us),” he continued.
‘This day changed my perspective on life, the way I live it forever and how I am every day.’
“I never dealt with the trauma and stress of what I witnessed and went through for years until I had a breakdown a few years later, but it made me the person I am today.”
Cam went on to say that he is “grateful to still be here, to be with my family, paying tribute to those affected here.”
He shared photos of the hotel he had stayed in that was completely destroyed by the tsunami.
“This day changed my perspective on life, the way I live it forever and how I am every day,” he wrote.
“Sending much love to those who were affected 20 years ago, to those who lost their lives and to those still suffering the effects,” he added.
The catastrophic tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters in history, killing more than 225,000 people in 14 countries.
A series of large tsunamis up to 30 m high caused massive devastation and triggered a humanitarian response around the world.
As a reminder of Cam’s dance with destiny, he has a tattoo on his right bicep with the three words: “Live, love, embrace.”