Help Identify a Young Girl Left Alone by the Tsunami–Truth! but Resolved!
Summary of eRumor:
Picture of a young girl said to be a lonely survivor of the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand.
The Truth:
According to UNICEF’s child trafficking arm The Innocenti Research Centre, this girl was a victim of the South Asian tsunami, but has been identified.
She is Sophie Marleen Micl.
She became separated from her parents in Phuket, Thailand on the day of the tsunami waves and when she was found, she was taken to a hospital in Phuket..
She was not identified until several days later.
Her parents have never been found.
She was returned to Germany for further medical treatment and is in the care of relatives.
The UNICEF site links to a press release from police in Hessen, Germany.
It says that she was cared for in the Vachira hospital in Phuket.
Someone along the way decided to declare that the search for her was an Amber Alert, which is not true.
Last updated 3/24/05