Differently-abled man survives at sea after being swept away by tsunami in Tonga

Back-to-back volcanic eruptions that resulted in strong tsunami waves wreaked havoc on Tonga, a small Pacific island. Despite the tragedy and damage, the survival of a differently-abled man in the face of hardship has risen as a light of hope for all.

Lisala Folau is being hailed as a real-life ‘Aquaman’ after surviving 27 hours in the ocean when tsunami waves hit his native island of Atata. He made it to the shore after being thrown around in the sea by a strong current, leaving everyone relieved but also astonished.

The undersea volcano Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted, leaving ash and plumes that covered kilometres of land and swept away people’s houses and vacation resorts. However, the 57-year-old Tongan man, a former carpenter, was aided by his swimming abilities.

Recounting his survival story in an interview with a leading daily, he said: ‘I just floated, bashed around by the big waves that kept coming. Bear in mind that I am disabled. I can’t walk properly’.

Folau was alerted about the tsunami by his brother and took shelter on a tree. However, once he landed after the first wave, a larger wave washed him and his family into the water.

‘It was dark and we could not see each other. Very soon I could not hear my niece calling anymore, but I could hear my son calling’, he said. The man stated that he did not answer the calls because he didn’t want any of his family members to sacrifice their lives to save him.

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Folau added that he swam 7.5 kilometres (4.7 miles) to the main island of Tongatapu, reaching the beach 27 hours later on Sunday night. ‘On the eighth time I thought, the next time I go underwater that’s it because my arms were the only things that were keeping me above water’, he told the reporters. Finally, on his ninth effort, he was able to grab onto a log.

Despite the fact that he has gone viral as Aquaman, Folau revealed that he is not familiar with the DC Universe character played by Jason Momoa in the flicks.