A relieved father cries tears of joy tinged by anguish yesterday as he clutches the little boy he feared he’d never see again.
Marko Karkkainen of Sweden was reunited with his 18-month-old son, Hannes Bergstroem, in a Thai hospital. But dimming the dad’s happiness were fears for his wife, Suzanne Bergstroem (inset), who remains among the 5,000 reported missing in the devastating tsunamis that swept southern Asia after a massive undersea earthquake.
The child’s incredible story began when six members of his family, including his mom, dad and grandparents, arrived in Thailand from the Swedish city of Gothenberg for a vacation.
On the night of the monster tidal wave, Hannes got separated from his dad – who himself had first been feared dead, but later turned up at another hospital – in the confusion and terror that swept the resort area of Khao Lak.
A Thai villager saw Hannes in the water. He risked his life to rescue the boy and then carried him to safer ground on a hill.
Hours later, an American couple found Hannes on the hill, wrapped in blankets. His face was scratched and pocked with mosquito bites and his hand bandaged.
The Americans cared for him until he was taken by helicopter some 60 miles to a hospital on the southern Thai island of Phuket.
Frustrated hospital staffers said Hannes was trying to talk to them but they didn’t know what language he spoke – until one man tried Swedish.
On Monday the staffers decided to make an international appeal for relatives by posting Hannes’ picture on the hospital’s Web site.
An uncle, identified only as Jim, spotted the photo and rushed to the hospital.
The relatives tracked down the boy’s father, who had been frantically seeking word of his missing family members.
Cut and bruised, Karkkainen finally joined his son in a hospital room festooned with balloons.
There were reports that an anonymous Thai princess had arranged for the helicopter that brought Hannes road to the hospital.
“I have been to Thailand seven times, and this time only confirmed what I know about Thai people – that they are so generous and caring,” Karkkainen said.
“She has saved his life, but also my soul because I couldn’t survive if I lost them both,” he said referring to his son and wife.
With Post Wire Services