John and Jackie Knill of Vancouver, British Columbia, pose at a resort in Khao Lak, Thailand, on December 12, 2004. The couple was killed when the December 26 tsunami struck the resort. Their digital camera was found, and though the camera was destroyed, searchers were able to recover photos of the tsunami from its memory card.
Tourists walk along the beach as the water suddenly recedes, revealing tidal flats.
Beyond the tidal flats, the tsunami begins to gain momentum.
The wave begins to break as it approaches land
The wall of water dwarfs a tourist and boats on the beach
In the last image on the camera, the tsunami slams into the shore
8:26 a.m. Tourists stroll unaware of an ominous dark line - the tsunami - rolling toward them from the horizon.
8:28 a.m. The tsunami crashes onto the beach, dwarfing a person trying to run across the sand to safety.
8:30 a.m. This photo of the onrushing tsunami is the final image recovered from the Knills' digital camera
John and Jackie Knill, of North Vancouver, B.C., were vacationing in Thailand when they were caught in the Dec. 26 tsunami