British woman swept away by wave while trying to save dogs is first Tonga tsunami death, family says
A British woman who went missing after a massive underwater volcanic eruption resulted in tsunami waves hitting the Pacific nation of Tonga has been found dead, her family says, the island's first reported death in the disaster.
Angela Glover, 50, had been living in Tonga along her husband, James, since 2015 and founded the Tonga Animal Welfare Society, her brother, Nick Eleini, told BBC News. Glover had posted about the eruption on Instagram.
Eleini said his sister went missing after being swept away by a wave, and was later found by her husband, who notified her family.
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"I understand that this terrible accident came about as they tried to rescue their dogs," Eleini said in a Sky News video. "Angela has always had a deep love of dogs."
The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Haʻapai volcano on Saturday occurred roughly 40 miles north of the Tonga capital of Nuku'alofa, resulting in waves crashing across the shore and people rushing to higher ground. The island has an estimated population of 105,000 people, mostly of Polynesian descent.
"Angela and James loved their life in Tonga and adored the Tongan people. In particular, they loved the Tongan love of family and Tongan culture," Elenini said. "She was living her dream. She always wanted to live in a place like Tonga. We are so proud she was able to fulfil that."
Tongan officials have not confirmed any other deaths related to the tsunami, but United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said two people were reported missing in Tonga. Dujarric didn't know if Glover was one of them.
Across the Pacific Ocean, two people drowned at a beach in Peru from waves created by the volcano, the Associated Press reported. Flooding caused minor damage from places like New Zealand and Santa Cruz, California.
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The eruption cut the internet to Tonga, leaving friends and family members around the world anxiously trying to get in touch to figure out if there were any injuries and the extent of the damage. Even government websites and other official sources remained without updates for much of the weekend.
The company that owns the single underwater fiber-optic cable that connects the island nation to the rest of the world said it likely was severed in the eruption and repairs could take weeks.
New Zealand and Australia were able to send military surveillance flights to Tonga on Monday to assess the damage. New Zealand hopes to send essential supplies, including much-needed drinking water, on a military transport plane Tuesday. UNICEF Pacific also said they are ready to send emergency supplies like water, hygiene kits and tents to the nation.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: British woman is first death of Tonga tsunami disaster, family says
