PHUKET – Tilly Smith, the young British girl, who helped rescue hundreds on Phuket’s Karon Beach with her shouts of “Tsunami! Tsunami!”, will be floated one mile off the Phuket coast by the Thai Navy.
At a press conference to announce the launch of Tilly, Thai Coast Guard Chief Somchai Winsongboon said that he was confident the four-foot Wilshire native would repeat her heroism if called upon.
“We have been trying to install an effective system for years now but only this little girl has a proven track record of predicting tsunamis and saving lives. Why should we rely on technology when we have, at a fraction of the cost, an 8-year-old girl with an annoying, high-pitched voice?”
Outfitted with a megaphone connected via underwater wires to speakers on the beach, Tilly will live in a small, floating, iron cage with 360 degree views of the surrounding waters.
While children’s rights activists derided the move as inhumane, Phuket locals have said they already feel much safer knowing little Tilly will soon be bobbing at sea.
Asked what would happen to Tilly when a tsunami hit, coast guard chief Somchai responded: “Come on. This is Tilly. She’s got more experience with tsunamis than anyone. She’ll know what to do.”
