Orphaned boy, seven, tells of moment the floods hit

WHEN the waters subsided, Karl Nilsson, seven, thought he’d been transported to another city. But he was still in the same place, except his parents and two brothers, with him moments before, had vanished.

Now Kalle, as everyone calls him, is being cared for on Phuket by another Swedish family - and is anxiously waiting for news about his own.

Marie Guldstrand, a Swedish doctor, and her family have been taking care of Kalle since Monday, when they found him alone in a Buddhist temple on the island. Ms Guldstrand said her son ran to her calling: "Mammy, mammy, there is a little Swedish boy. Come and see him."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kalle, clad only in his underwear, had a broken collarbone, bruises and cuts. He screamed as a medic stitched his torn feet without an anaesthetic.

Kalle had been in a hotel room on Sunday morning with his brothers, Olof, five, and Vilgot, three. His parents, Thomas and Asa, of Lulea, Sweden, were outside when suddenly, water gushed into the room.

Ms Guldstrand said: "He told me, ‘I was under the water but somehow I could breathe. I was just closing my eyes and moving with the waves. Then, suddenly the flood ended and I was in another city’."

• Donate online to the UNICEF appeal

• If you or someone you know has been affected by the Indian Ocean earthquake, and you would like to tell us about your experience, please email [email protected]

Related topics: