#TsunamiDay2016

Meet Tomas Alvarez Belon's , who’s life changed forever on 26 December 2004, when he was caught up in the tragedy of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. He is now a passionate campaigner for disaster risk awareness and public safety. Tomas was on holiday in Thailand with his parents and his brothers Lucas and Simon when the wave hit. His family’s survival story inspired the 2012 film “The Impossible”, starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.
Many thanks to our colleagues at the UN News Centre in New York for interviewing Tomas when he was there for an event marking the first ever edition of World Tsunami Awareness Day, in November 2016.
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[@2eganja1]

My favorite scene was when Thomas heard Lucas screamed out Dad, and that's when the brothers reunited! That was a tear jerker for real

[@blakeliammonzon9098]

I was crying the whole time watching this film. As a mother of 2 boys, I can feel their pain and fear.Lucky they were all safe ❤️

[@Thecatnamedkiwi]

Me too I balled the whole time as well!

[@victoriav.6462]

I just want to let you know that stating that you can feel their pain only because you are too, a mother, is arrogant and at best not thought thoroughly. You, indirectly, state that rest ,who are not mothers, or are not mothers of boys, won't be able to understand this pain. Believe me, we DO understand! It's human nature as opposed to not be humane. I'm sure you heard of moms who abandoned their kids/boys and so many killed them too. Will they be able to understand? Of course not.. Perhaps you understand not because you are a mom, but because you are a loving, caring person. That i will believe.

[@jillian5582]

@@victoriav.6462 Lady, get off your soap box. You know EXACTLY what she’s trying to say! Arrogant? 🙄

[@notyouraveragejerk9861]

3 boys

[@God_3712]

I cried so damn hard too

[@melissam9815]

I cried like a baby the whole movie “ the impossible “

[@lorilee698]

Same! Such a powerful movie! What a great actress!!

[@Peepsyx3]

Brave kid, turned into a good man. We're all very fortunate to be alive most of us take that for granted every day.. Very insightful.

[@UNDRR]

His testimony was very powerful at the World Tsunami Awareness Day event at the UN last November, and we look forward to working with him in the future to help save lives.

[@stopthegop4894]

This entire family is extraordinary. I am so happy that they survived and went on to do the important work they are all doing.

[@CallieRaj]

I’ve never heard of this film until now that it’s on Netflix, it’s a great movie and a must watch!! I didn’t even realize the kid playing Lucas was Tom Holland, such an amazing actor!!

[@iamred1092]

How can 29 people dislike this? This is an incredible story of survival and the will to live for the entire family so how 29 people thumbs down this video is unreal to me.....soul less monsters :(

[@jMe_cj266]

When Thomas and Simon reunited and they scream out loud i can't hold my tears 😢😭❤ Very Nice movie. Kudos to Tom, Naomi,the rest of the cast specially the kid name Daniel when he tap the head of Naomi and touched her arm🙏🏽😇😭♥️♥️♥️

[@wellwellwellNoni]

My favorite scene ofc is when they reunited esp when Simon and Thomas spotted Lucas shouting outside the hospital The scene where the father is calling Brian in England and cries hard, it killed me. It is the most fascinating scene I've ever! watched

[@daniellescremin9553]

what an inspiring young man... Whole family is ...

[@amandalowe2755]

Omg it was so sad when locus went to help all of those ppl to find their love ones. Then when he returned back to his moms bed, she was gone 💔💔💔💔 but I am glad that he eventually reunited with his family 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@tanyewest675]

Thanks to the people in Thailand 🇹🇭 His mom would not be able to tell her story. Would love to see where they at now and hear from the other family members. All graces due to God for keeping his entire family together. ✝️👆🏼

[@trevalockett2348]

Amen

[@mybigyear]

This is incredible he survived

[@iamsandee]

I felt all emotions watching with my sons. I dont take a second for granted.

[@Mamayesseniaa]

Such an amazing movie. Humanity is so important . ❤🙏🏼

[@loretta6971]

Great family! Excellent movie… I cried so much watching it. And shared it with everyone!

[@boundski]

I truly appreciate his comments, his desire to make changes and making them public.

[@princessbylle3818]

I was crying the whole time watching this movie…

[@adrianapotinteu320]

Just like his mother ❤. ..

[@31betperez]

Gracias a la familia Belón por levantar conciencia. 🙏❤

[@lordmia8237]

God bless you, good sir. ⛪

[@abdulmajeedjal-harbi242]

If his actions was like the boy in that film that explains this guy is very very brave man and he isn't a normal person can

[@blackvelvet1350]

This isn't the oldest Boy Lucas

[@KontauriC07]

@Virgil Parks shhhh...ut the f up

[@yeetrootthebeetroot3872]

@Virgil Parks wtf

[@Jaydubdubstep]

@Virgil Parks you're a weirdo, and sound really dumb.

[@markuse3472]

Great movie, but it would have been greater had a Spanish-named family been the actors, making it a closer representation to the actual family who's true story this is.

[@miathermopolis3021]

The woman who wrote the book actually picked Naomi Watts to play her because she is her favorite actor

[@markuse3472]

@@miathermopolis3021 If she picked Naomi that is fine and great, but it doesn't change the fact that Spanish-named actors were not picked due to bigotry from movie-goers.

[@miathermopolis3021]

Markus E well, it at least changes that fact in this specific incident

[@EE-kh6ey]

Virgil Parks are Spanish people not white ?

[@chachi182]

@@EE-kh6ey exactly. they were a family from spain. they are white. its not like naomi was portraying an mestizo or afro-latino family

[@kleonjan5110]

Just watch the movie and I really cried a lot.

[@abbyzain3232]

you are blessed...

[@joshuachaves1544]

We are blessed too

[@DaBears08]

How did he meet up with his little brother or save him after getting thrown around? Crazy story

[@Gardenlodge4691]

The Grace of God!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾 Somehow they both managed to cling to trees and their father found them. Truly a miracle that all 5 of them survived.

[@dawnwalker7366]

My god what a horrible thing 2go through an a true miracle they all found each other

[@brandonwear9081]

thats the real boy not the actor

[@UNDRR]

Yes indeed, Tomas is the real guy whose boyhood story inspired the movie. He was a speaker at our event held last November to mark the first ever edition of World Tsunami Awareness Day: www.unisdr.org/archive/50903

[@eunicemedeiros9319]

Chorei de ver a luta dele e o que passou para salvar a mãe e quando ele viu os irmãos o que aconteceu foi um grande milagre, Deus estava com eles a família toda se salvaram não tem outra esplicação

[@ariamembreno6119]

is he a doctor too?? bless his soul!

[@adefk]

his older brother is

[@joshuagrover795]

No warning system would have helped the coastal people of Northern Sumatra for example because the coast was just too close to the epicentre of the waves, 150 miles offshore travelling about 850 km/h to have any effective their was just no time to react, add to that people were just recovering from an 8 minute earthquake. 😥

[@shaunteallen5875]

Awesome movie just checked it out

[@hebneh]

Interesting that he has an American accent, since his bio describes him as coming from Spain and then studying and working in Greece and Britain.

[@checoPH]

hebneh that’s what I said, I wonder how truthful this story is. I thought Thomas was gonna talk english with a spanish accent. Or at least with a british accent.

[@annalucy89]

@@checoPH Oh shut the fuck up! I despise assholes like you that question real life tragedies because of stupid minor things!!! Are you trying to say that the tsunami didn't even happen!? You can clearly hear when he's talking that he doesn't have a perfect American accent! He's also studying to be a doctor if that hasn't already happened and he probably works in a job where he has to talk English all the time! And why on earth would he have a British accent? He's Spanish and they lived in Japan when he was younger! Many people have thought that I have a very believable American accent even though I'm born and raised in Iceland and have never lived anywhere else! So questioning this horrible tragedy JUST BECAUSE of that small minor detail is fucking stupid and pathetic!

[@zalsabillafaratria2108]

@@checoPH Oh so because he has an American accent, the story wasn't truthful? Maybe he grew up surrounded by American people, maybe he studied in an American school? Don't just immediately assume things

[@hilaryc3203]

He doesn't have an American accent. I can clearly hear his Spanish accent coming through. Like many Europeans, he is a well educated polyglot and does so fluently, just like his parents. .....oh, and checoph, you're a dumbass. Read up on his family and get a reality check. The study of different languages is a priority in Europe. His parents worked in multiple countries, alongside english speakers, ...that is the norm. Just because you've got a stunted education doesn't mean others do.

[@foreverlovesophie]

@@checoPH if you listen closely , he does have an accent . I was born in Central America , but studied at a private school that spoke English first and then Spanish so, people think I spent my whole life in the U.S., but I didn’t .

[@themafia3119]

The family was portrayed as British?

[@ashleybenek3915]

Neil Uni the woman who’s story was told (Maria) chose Naomi Watts to portray her, so i assume other choices for actors were based off of this

[@kazoojisoo7231]

@@ashleybenek3915 she (maria) also wanted the family to be seen as just another family and not just as hers since there were (obviously) lots of victims

[@jillian5582]

The movie never disclosed the race of the family. That is how Maria wanted it. She chose Naomi for the role and did not want their race/nationality brought up.

[@ializarg]

No. The film does not mention the nationality or origin of the leading family. It was a wish of the writers to give universality to the story. But the name "María" (in Spanish) of the protagonist is maintained.

[@javanalecio8940]

December 26, 2004 🤍🕊️

[@lukkyluciano]

that's the boy from the movie?

[@Asheth]

lukkyluciano that is the actual kid who survived with his family, not the actor who played him.

[@lukkyluciano]

yeah, obviously. I've seen the movie

[@UNDRR]

Yes indeed, Tomas is the real guy whose boyhood story inspired the movie. He was a speaker at our event held last November to mark the first ever edition of World Tsunami Awareness Day: www.unisdr.org/archive/50903

[@annikaluke9923]

Yes, the middle child.

[@jillian5582]

@@lukkyluciano if it’s obvious to you, why did you ask the question?

[@tomasalvarez7055]

moro mäki selvisin :D

[@sussitrvyomisma8161]

Que guapo estás nene

[@aasthakashyap6789]

His jaw line could literally cut a potato....😌😌😌

[@hilaryc3203]

Why would you say something like that?

[@franziskarechberger1713]

Hilary C wow you must be fun at parties🤩

[@hilaryc3203]

@@franziskarechberger1713 I'm fun at dinner parties, boating parties, corporate parties, family parties........but stuck in a room full of morons, not so much.

[@jillian5582]

@@hilaryc3203 the man is handsome. What’s wrong with what she said?

[@hilaryc3203]

@@jillian5582 How is stating that someone's jaw line would literally cut a potato equate to being handsome? She could have responded with an explanation, and didn't. In the meantime, ppl like you get all fussy over a simple. question.

[@honestaquatics4633]

He has an American accent. I thought he was Spanish.

[@BicornioSPA]

He is spanish.

[@jillian5582]

Not all Spanish people have Spanish accents🙄 English is taught in Spain. Many schools in Spain speak English first and Spanish 2nd. He lived and studied in other countries that spoke English as well. I do hear a bit of a Spanish accent when he speaks

[@itziaralonso5860]

He probably studied in a International School, they were living in Japan back in the day when the tragedy happened

[@thisperson1726]

Well spoken Reborn pointy cute face

[@NGVYT]

I'm in school

[@yeetrootthebeetroot3872]

ok

[@Adrian-gaspar]

Did you r momlive😨

[@Darbdoll]

Yes 🙌🏾

[@MegaBabychocolate]

Watching the movie , I could’ve sworn that this boy ( Lucas ) will become a doctor. And I was right . That’s hero in becoming . Bless u and your family