It was just a normal Saturday in Auckland. Nothing particularly strange had happened, but then it began.

The siren wailed across the city screaming at us to retreat. This siren wasn’t heard often but everyone knew what it was… The tsunami siren.

Women and children screamed, people scrambled in all directions trying to escape and get away from the beach as the giant wave swept across the harbour towards the city, threatening to swallow and demolish anything in its path.

We had no chance. The closest high ground was 30 minutes away by car this wave was surely our doom.

LACHLAN = YEAR 8