Brit animal worker describes ‘eerie silence’ in haunting last pic before she’s swept away with her dogs by Tonga tsunami
A HAUNTING last photograph was posted by a British woman who it’s feared was swept away with her dogs in the tsunami that struck Tonga.
Angela Glover, 50, wrote of an “eerie silence” before the 4ft waves poured through the coastal home where she was staying with her husband James.
He was able to cling to a tree but Angela – who ran a dog sanctuary – was swept out to see with up to five of her dogs.
She was last seen clinging to floating debris with the animals as a huge swell of water rushed back out to sea and has not been seen since.
Her heartbroken brother said he fears the worst and that it’s now a case of “body retrieval” rather than finding her alive.
Just hours earlier she posted the posted a picture of an ominous red sunset over Tonga in the wake of the volcanic eruption that led to the tsunami.
“We’ve been under tsunami warnings today…everything’s fine… a few swells ….a few eerie silences,” she wrote.
With power to the Pacific islands cut, officials were still trying to assess the casualty figures and the damage caused by the tsunami.
Sources said her tattoo artist husband James was left distraught when a huge wall of water swept through the property they were staying about 100 yards from the shore.
Angela’s brother Nick Eleini, who is based in Sydney, said hopes were fading of finding her alive.
“But I am hoping, it’s all I can do,” he told New Zealand’s 1News
“James was able to hold on to a tree for quite some period of time.
“I don’t know if Angela was swept away immediately or whether she was swept away afterwards.”
He described his sister as “great, fun girl” who was popular with locals and loved the culture.
“She really embraced it, she loved the Tongans, she just thought they were wonderful people. She really grew into the Tonga way of life.”
Nick told The Guardian his sister had been washed away with four or five dogs who she was walking at the time.
Her and her husband housesitting a home on the west coast of the island when the tsunami struck.
“One of the dogs has been found, but Angela hasn’t been found,” he said.
“It’s excruciating. I can’t even believe the words are coming out of my mouth, to be honest.”
Angela started a new life in Veitongo, Tonga five years ago after she quit a high-powered career as a TV advertising producer.
She quit the rat race to help run the Happy Sailor Tattoo parlour with her husband while running her animal aide venture in a paradise setting.