APIA: Malcolm Laurence, a New Zealand traveller, met Claire Rowlands from Smeaton and Vivien Hodgins from Ballarat just hours after stepping off the plane for his tropical island break in Samoa.
By the next morning Ms Hodgins, 56, was dead, Ms Rowlands was battered and bruised and the entire resort town of Lalomanu, where they had chosen to stay, had been flattened by a set of giant waves following an 8.1-magnitude quake.
''I can't believe it, really,'' said Mr Laurence, an Aucklander.
''Just the night before I had met these two fantastic women, typical Aussies with wonderful senses of humour, both incredibly friendly and warm.
''There were drinkies in their room at Taufua Beach Fales, lots of laughing and reflections on what sounded like a great holiday for them.
''I was really looking forward to getting to know them better.
''But the next time I saw them I was yelling 'run, tidal wave, run, tidal wave' and they were sprinting for the hills.
''But Vivien was dropping behind, she couldn't run as fast. That's the tragedy.''
On feeling the quake early on Wednesday morning, Australian time, Mr Lawrence and his travelling companion, Helen, decided to go for a swim in the lagoon. They noticed the first wave with just two minutes to spare and ''ran for our lives''.
The pair managed to survive by clinging to trees when they reached the tree line beyond the resort.
Ms Rowlands wasn't as lucky. The mother of three was dragged repeatedly over rocks with each wave, expecting to be ''taken'' at any moment.
''But then I opened my eyes and I was alive. I just wish I could say the same for Vivien.''
The pair, both teachers, were long-time friends who had been planning their tropical escape for some time. ''Vivien was really adventurous. It was her idea to come here and I thought it sounded fantastic.''
The 55-year-old had the grim task of identifying her friend's body in the hospital's packed morgue and said the reality of her death had yet to sink in.
She underwent surgery on her infected left leg on Thursday night, Australian time, and was hoping to be home by morning. ''I just want to get back to my family now,'' she said, crying.
AAP
