DIVERS who cheated death when a tidal wave flattened the island they were holidaying on, could return in the Summer to help the economy.

Neil Thorneywork and his wife Marina from Blackminster were diving off the Maldivan island of Kandooma, on the opposite side to where the tidal wave struck. They were originally due to dive off the island's eastern edge, but their lives were saved by the last minute change of location due to rough water.

Mr Thorneywork said he is touched by the generous response of the public to the earthquake appeal but said donations need to continue for a long time.

He said: "I hope you don't have a situation in six months time that people are struggling - people can get forgotten. Everybody whose given thinks they've done their bit, but in three months time people out there are not going to eat and drink."

Mr Thorneywork said the countries devastated by the tsunami disaster needed tourists to come back and regenerate the economy, and he hoped to return to the Maldives himself.

He said: "These countries won't recover tomorrow, this is far bigger than anything we've seen before. My wife is keen to go back to dive in the Maldives. I have actually said we ought to do it but I feel very frightened at the thought of going back into the water. It would be nice to go back in the Summer to the same island."

Nicky Davies, aged 43, and her children Jessica, aged 16, Patrick, aged 13 and Evie, aged nine from Ashton Underhill, had been on an inland adventure holiday in Sri Lanka when the disaster struck.

They were on their way to spend their second week at a coastal resort when they discovered the resort had been completely destroyed.

After Mrs Davies text her parents to say the family were "safe and well" she and her children were moved to a hotel in the capital Colombo, with two other English families who were on the same trip.

Mrs Davies said: "While we were there we decided that between us we would club together and get some aid - we got rice, processed milk and tinned food and took them to the main aid station in Colombo. We wanted to do something because we were so close to it."

Mrs Davies and her children arrived home safely last Thursday.