**A Nightmare Awakening: How a Family Survived a Tsunami That Swept Their Home Away**
Pedro “Peter” Niada and his family were fast asleep in their seaside home on Robinson Crusoe Island, 600 kilometers off the coast of Chile, when disaster struck. At 4:30 a.m. on February 27, 2010, Niada jolted awake, convinced a meteorite had hit nearby. The house tilted violently, water rushed in, and the sound of splintering wood filled the air.
Confused and disoriented, Niada pulled back the curtain of *The Flying Fish*, the 12-bed tourist lodge he had built by hand, only to see the island receding into the distance. His home was being swept out to sea by a massive wave. “Tsuuuunaaaaaami!” he screamed, waking his partner, Fabiana Persia, and their two young children, Dante and Luz.
As the house sank, chaos erupted outside. Fishing boats, debris, and other homes swirled in the churning water. Gas canisters hissed as they bobbed to the surface before vanishing into the depths. A guest staying at the lodge, Matthew Westcott, an experienced sailor, forced open a window and spotted a small fishing boat drifting nearby. He swam to it, then helped Niada ferry Luz to safety.
Persia refused to let go of Dante, clinging to him as they fought through the wreckage. Together, they reached the boat just as a surge sent it hurtling back toward the shore. The family scrambled onto land, barefoot and naked, sprinting uphill as another wave crashed behind them.
By morning, the devastation was clear. The village of San Juan Bautista had been obliterated—homes, the school, and the police station were gone. Sixteen people had died, including Dante’s best friend. Niada later joined recovery efforts, diving to retrieve bodies from the wreckage.
The tsunami had been triggered by a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Chile’s coast, though the islanders felt no tremor. The wave traveled over 600 kilometers in just 49 minutes, leaving no time for warning.
In the aftermath, Niada and his family struggled to rebuild. Diagnosed with PTSD, he battled nightmares and depression. They moved between relatives’ homes before settling in Santiago, where Niada returned to diving, organizing expeditions to heal his connection with the ocean.
Fifteen years later, Niada returned to the island for the first time, coincidentally on the anniversary of the tsunami. Greeted by emotional reunions with survivors, he joined a memorial ceremony, tossing flowers into the sea for those lost. The journey marked a bittersweet homecoming—a testament to resilience amid unimaginable loss.