EVANSTON, Ill. – The remains of a 33-year-old Evanston man who died in the Asian tsunami have been found in Thailand, his family said.
Ben Abels was vacationing on the island of Phi Phi when his beachside bungalow was inundated with water on Dec. 26. Abels had been missing since the disaster.
On Saturday Abels’ family said his remains were identified and are being returned. Todd Musburger, a family spokesman, said a private burial is planned this week.
"All of us close to the family understand that in a time of no good news, at least they can have some small measure of comfort through Ben’s remains being returned to his home," Musburger said.
Dental records were used to identify the remains, said Rabbi Andrea London with the family’s synagogue in Evanston. Hundreds of people attended a memorial service for Abels last month.
The tsunami triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake killed between 173,324 and 182,340 people in 11 countries. The number of missing ranges from 107,853 to 129,897, with most presumed dead.
– The Associated Press