World News - Girl swept away by 2004 tsunami weeps after reunion with family: "A girl who was swept away in the Indian Ocean tsunami seven years ago said Friday that she broke down in tears after tracking down her parents, who had long lost hope of finding her alive.
Wati, 15, showed up earlier this week at a cafe in Meulaboh, a town in Aceh province, saying she had been "adopted" by a woman who forced her to beg in the streets, sometimes until 1 a.m.
The teen said she could only remember her grandfather's name, saying it was Ibrahim. Someone at the cafe tracked down a man by that name, and the man — unsure if it was actually his granddaughter — quickly summoned her parents.
"When I saw my mother, I knew it was her. I just knew it," said Wati, who was given that name by the woman who found her. Her original name is Meri Yuranda.
Indonesian state news agency Antara reported on Thursday that the girl was aged eight when she was ripped from her mother's arms by the rushing waters near her home in West Aceh, Indonesia, in December 2004."
'via Blog this'
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