Man tells harrowing survival story "after being washed away" by Tonga tsunami
CBSN
Aid finally started to arrive Thursday in Tonga, five days after a massive underwater volcano smothered the Pacific island nation in ash and sent destructive tsunami waves crashing onto its shores. But as the first planes carrying emergency supplies touched down on the runway at Fua'amotu International Airport, recently cleared of ash, the story of one survivor in particular was captivating people around the world.
Lisala Folau, 57, told Tonga's Broadcom FM radio station that he managed to swim back to safety "after being washed away" by the tsunami on Saturday, struggling through the surf for a day despite his own physical disabilities.
George Lavaka, an editor at the station, posted a full translation of the station's interview with Folau on his Facebook page.