How Scientists and Victims Watched Helplessly: epic survey of how the tsunami news broke, or failed to. For some reason, right about when the quake had been first reported I adjourned from our Christmas gathering for a moment and walked back in to the living room to announce the quake news. Earlier that day I had IMed with my friend and ex-bandmate Karl, who had been in Phuket earlier in December and was planning on heading back. He was in Saigon when we chatted.