Twenty years after the unprecedented 2004 catastophe, Petra Nemcova shares the painful yet powerful lessons she learned from the disaster that killed her boyfriend Simon Atlee

Petra Nemcova recalled the "split seconds" before her Thailand bungalow was hit by a tsunami that left her with a shattered pelvis. The supermodel survived by holding onto a tree.

Supermodel Petra Nemcova has now started a foundation that helps children. However, there is a tragic story behind it. It dates back to 2004 when Nemcova and her late boyfriend, Simon Atlee, were on vacation in Thailand.

Photo by Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage Supermodel Petra Nemcova was one of many caught in the devastating tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004. She got caught in the massive wave after it smashed through her bungalow in Kaho Lak.