Petra Pemcova lit a candle in Thailand on Friday to remember the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami on the 10-year anniversary of the natural disaster.
The 35-year-old model and philanthropist lost her fiance Simon Atlee in the tsunami and herself suffered a broken pelvis and serious internal injuries.
Petra returned to Khao Lak where she held onto a palm tree for eight hours after the tsunami until she was rescued by Thai civilians.
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Tragedy anniversary: Petra Nemcova took part in a candle ceremony in Thailand on Friday to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people
The Czech beauty wore a white sweater over a white dress for the ceremony in which sky lanterns were released symbolizing the releasing of spirits.
Petra told NBC News that she was taking a morning stroll along the white sand beach in Khao Lak with her photographer fiance Simon on December 26, 2004 and remembered wondering why the water had retreated so much.
An hour later she heard screams and discovered the reason.
Making a difference: Petra founded the Happy Hearts Charity after surviving the tsunami
Tsunami survivor: Petra suffered a broken pelvis in the tsunami that killed her fiancee Simon Atlee
Candle ceremony: Lanterns symbolizing the releasing of spirits filled the night sky in Ban Nam Khem, Thailand
'I started seeing people frantically running. In the next second water came in and crushed all the windows,' Petra said.
Petra and Simon were swept out into a churning sea and her boyfriend became one of the more than 5,000 people on Thailand's west coast killed by the tsunami.
'I never knew what a tsunami was. I never heard the word before. ... Never,' Petra said.
Love lost: Petra is shown in May 2004 with fiance Simon who drowned in the tsunami
Petra recalled hearing cries for help as she clung to the palm tree for hours unable to help anyone.
'That has given me drive to help children every day since because that day I didn't have a choice, now I have a choice,' she said.
The survivor founded the Happy Hearts Charity that has rebuilt more than 100 schools in areas devastated by natural disasters.
Charity group: Petra is shown in November 2013 with boyfriend Laurent Lamothe who resigned as prime minister of Haiti earlier this month
'The tsunami has given me many gifts and one of them has been consciousness of how lucky I am,' said the former Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover model.
The blonde beauty revealed in May that she has been dating Laurent Lamothe who resigned earlier this month as the prime minister of Haiti.
The Boxing Day tsunami killed 230,000 people in fourteen countries and was triggered by a massive 9.2-magnitude earthquake.
Cover girl: Petra graced the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition in 2003
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