Cop declared dead after 2004 Indonesian tsunami is found alive by his family after spending 16 years in a psychiatric hospital due to the traumas he saw
- Police officer Abrip Asep was on duty when a tsunami hit Indonesia in 2004
- His family members believe he is among the more than 230,000 people killed
- But Asep was found in a psychiatric hospital and reunited with family
A police officer who was pronounced dead after the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia has been found alive after suffering a mental breakdown amid the tragedy and ending up in a psychiatric hospital for the past 16 years.
Abrip Asep was on duty when the tsunami in the Indian Ocean hit Indonesia on Christmas Day in 2004, his family said.
His family members were saddened after believing he was one of more than 230,000 people killed when waves blew up to 100 meters high over Southeast Asia.
But according to local luck, Asep was found and reunited with his family after nearly two decades apart.
Police officer Abrip Asep, who was declared dead after the Indonesian tsunami in 2004, was found alive after he reportedly had a mental breakdown amid the tragedy and ended up in a psychiatric hospital for the past 16 years. Pictured: Asep before he went missing (left), and Asep now in the psychiatric hospital (right)
Abrip Asep was on duty when the tsunami in the Indian Ocean hit Indonesia on Christmas Day in 2004, his family said. In the photo: the aftermath of the tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia
Asep was found in a psychiatric hospital in Aceh province, Indonesia, after suffering from mental health issues due to the traumas he saw during the tsunami.
He was reported missing by his family after the natural disaster hit the westernmost province of Aceh, and was later pronounced dead.
His family members said they discovered the shock that Asep had been alive for the past few weeks after photos were shared on a family group chat on social media.
A family member said: ‘I could not believe it, 17 years of no news and we thought he was dead, we did not know he was still alive. ‘
Asep (left) was found in a psychiatric hospital in Aceh province, Indonesia, after suffering from mental health issues due to the traumas he saw during the tsunami.
Local police confirmed that the man found in the psychiatric hospital, Abrip, was reported missing during the tsunami and later pronounced dead.
Aceh regional police spokesman said: “Although he is experiencing mental illness due to the tsunami, his family is very grateful that they found him alive. ‘
It is unclear why his family was not notified that he was in the psychiatric hospital.
The archipelago nation Indonesia was the country hardest hit in Southeast Asia when the earthquake in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 was followed by a tsunami.
The archipelago nation Indonesia was the country hardest hit in Southeast Asia when the earthquake in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 was followed by a tsunami. In the photo: the aftermath of the tsunami in the coastal area of Banda Aceh, Indonesia
The tsunami was the result of an underwater earthquake just after 1am on Boxing Day, the third largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph, with a magnitude of 9.0-9.3.
The huge water movement that followed hit waves of up to 100 feet off the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
Indonesia was severely affected by the tsunami, and suffered at least 167,000 casualties, a number presumably closer to 200,000.
However, it is unlikely that it will ever be confirmed, as thousands of bodies can never be recovered because they have been swept to the sea by the powerful waves.