Fresno State student/staff member
survives tsunami in Thailand

Peter Dwight is interviewed by TV reporter.

By Shirley Melikian Armbruster
University Communications

Peter Dwight, a Fresno State student who works as a research technician for the Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment, said "God was looking out" for his family while they were vacationing in Thailand when the tsunami struck.

Dwight, his parents and four younger siblings survived the devastating wave that struck the resort where they were staying on the tourist island of Phi Phi in Thailand .

The family had tried unsuccessfully to book a beachfront bungalow, and had settled for unit on a hill. The beachfront units were swept away by the waves, so being on higher ground when the tsunami struck the island about mid-day on Dec. 26 saved their lives. In addition, minutes after they left the beach restaurant and returned to their bungalow, the restaurant was destroyed by the waves.

"God was looking out for us from the get-go," said Dwight, 23, a senior majoring in Information Systems.

The son of missionaries, Dwight grew up in Taiwan . After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Fresno State five years ago.

In celebration of his parents' 25 th wedding anniversary and the Christmas holidays, Dwight accompanied them and his four younger siblings for what was supposed to be a five-day stay at a resort on Phi Phi. They arrived on Christmas day.

After the tsunami, Dwight joined his mother, a nurse, and father in performing CPR on a British woman while her husband and son watched. Despite their efforts for about 40 minutes, she was not resuscitated. Dwight viewed numerous bodies among the widespread debris on the island throughout the day.

But, he said, he did witness blessings amidst amongst the tragedy: He saw two reunions of couples whose partners had been separated and feared dead.

The next day, the family of seven managed to get a ferry boat ride to the larger island of Phuket . They flew to Bangkok and then to the family home in Taiwan . Dwight returned to Fresno on Jan. 4.

Read the Fresno Bee story.