Udhagamandalam: Hope keeps this family in this hill station going. For 12 years, members of the family have been keeping their fingers crossed and hoping that through some miracle a child which went missing in the tsunami of December 26, 2004, will surface somewhere and return to them.

It’s a tragic tale which has been told many times, but for the family, it is only hope of a reunion with a child separated.

On the fateful day, G Safiullah (36), son of Gul Muhammed Saith, a prominent member of the business community here, along with his wife Parveen (26) and sons Thanveer (8), Thalha (3), and Bilal (1), had gone to the Silver Beach in Cuddalore. Leaving Thalha in their car, the others had entered the beach.

Taken by surprise by the huge waves triggered by the tsunami, Safiullah, Parveen and Bilal were washed away. Thanveer floated to safety.

In the chaos that followed, Thalha had reportedly been removed from the car and taken to a hospital by the local police. However, he could not be located by Safiullah’s brother G Umar Farouk who rushed to the scene.

Farouk, who relived the nightmare while talking to The Covai Post here on Monday, said, “we will never give up hope”. Pointing out that all leads so far had failed in finding Thalha, he said that the search had so far led even to Mumbai. Websites across the globe have not been of help till now.