By Sarah Mills

Enterprise Saskatchewan employee talks about his horrifying experience in Japan

Mar 17, 2011 | 2:25 PM

Now safely back home, Tony Baumgartner, an Enterprise Saskatchewan employee, is telling his story exclusively to News Talk Radio about his horrifying experience in Tokyo at the time of the massive earthquake.

Baumgartner was getting over the jet-lag in his fifth floor hotel room when the quake hit.

“The room was shaking hard enough that I think that if I had tried to stand I probably would have fallen down,” said Baumgartner.

A crack appeared in the wall as he asked himself, “Is this it.”

“Then the announcements came on and I could see people fleeing the building. That is when I knew I had to get out,” said Baumgartner.

Raiders win 5-3

Defensive scoring leads Raiders over Wheat Kings

5h ago

GST Holiday

Federal government's two-month GST holiday begins

21h ago

Imminent need

Council set to discuss possible location for homeless shelter on 15th Street

Dec 14, 2024

Outside, he describes how there was little debris from the structures that are built to withstand earthquakes. He followed the lead of the Japanese people who he explains were all surprisingly calm.

It took several hours for him to be able to contact his wife in Saskatchewan.

Only when he began to see the images of the tsunami did Baumgartner begin to realise how lucky he had been.

He returned home just Wednesday night to the relief of his family.

news@panow.com