Rob Bell, the son of Tom and Gill Bell, of Fridaythorpe, was holidaying with his Japanese girlfriend, Junko, on Koh Phi Phi when the waves struck the island on Boxing Day.

The Bells later learned that the beach bungalow where Rob was staying had collapsed with the force of the water.

It was two days later when Mr and Mrs Bell heard that Junko had survived the disaster - but more than two weeks later, have still had no word about 34-year-old Rob.

"We are anxiously awaiting news and will be forever grateful for the support, help and understanding of friends and family during this difficult time," said the family in a statement to the Driffield Times.

Former Driffield School pupil Rob had been working as an English language teacher at a school outside Tokyo for several years - and it was in Tokyo that he met Junko in 1998.

The couple had decided to spend the festive period in Koh Phi Phi and had arrived on Christmas Day.

They were staying in a beach bungalow at the Charlie Beach Resort, 100 metres from Long Beach.

Rob's parents, along with their eldest son James, heard what had happened when the waves hit from an American volunteer known only as Scott, who looked after Junko during her recovery.

Junko had told Scott that she and Rob were both in the bungalow when they had heard screams.
Rob shouted 'Get down', and from that moment they were separated.
Junko had told Scott that the bungalow collapsed around them and she found herself under water being swept along with concrete, trees and other debris.

She said she could put her feet on the ground but was unable to stand up due to the force of the water.
She eventually hit a wall, which forced her to the surface where someone managed to pull her out, Scott told the Bell family.

Junko was evacuated from Koh Phi Phi and taken to Krabi Hospital for treatment to her injuries, which include a broken arm and leg.

Through Scott, she was able to tell Rob's parents what had happened.

"We are very grateful to Scott who took on the role of our personal on-the-spot contact, providing up to the minute information, especially during the first few days when we were unable to establish any other source of information," said the family.

The Bells have logged Rob's details on an internet site set up by the Red Cross for people missing following the tsunami - but they have still not heard anything.
They also described Rob's place of residence before the disaster as Tokyo. He also spent a number of years teaching in Germany and Australia.

But the Bells told the Driffield Times that Rob maintained strong links with the Driffield area.

They said he could often be found in the Norseman pub in the town at Christmas, catching up with friends from the area.

A talented footballer, he played for his county while at school and for a number of local sides including Bridlington Town and Warter AFC.