Kali's kin searching Bangkok hospitals

The family of Salt Lake teenager Kali Breisch has shifted its search to Bangkok, Thailand, hospitals, hopeful they'll find some sign she's still alive. The girl is among thousands missing after tsunami waves hit many areas of Asia.

The focus of the search for Breisch so far has been in the resort area of Phutek, one of the places hardest hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami. The Breischs had been staying in Phutek's Khao Lak resort area.

"It's just bodies they're finding," said Charlene Edmunds, a friend of the family.

Edmunds, who works with Breisch's father, Stuart Breisch, at Jordan Valley Hospital, was helping Saturday to find a plane that will accommodate Breisch's injured son, Jai, for a return flight to Utah. Edmunds said Jai, with injuries to his shoulder and leg, is unable to fly regular commercial airlines at this time.

Questions remain whether Stuart Breisch has travel insurance to help with the estimated $120,000 cost of chartering a plane and whether a relative or "connections" on the East Coast can come through with a plane.

"Right now we're hoping for some free resources," Edmunds said. "We're not giving up."

In the meantime, Edmunds said the search has been exhausting for Stuart Breisch, who spoke Friday morning with Kali's aunt, Joni Glynn. Pictures have been posted of Kali, and Breisch has been trying to regain strength to continue the search.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Breisch, along with daughter, Shonti, 18, and his fiance, Sally Nelson, had been finding some of Kali's belongings near the bungalow where Kali, 15, and her brother, Jai, 16, had been sleeping just before a huge wave swept them away. Edmunds said that Kali's makeup bag, a shoe and her swimsuit have been found.

Kali was at Edmunds' home a lot and, as a result, reminders of the missing Skyline High School sophomore are everywhere. "It makes it very hard to not have her with me right now," Edmunds said.

Jai is thought to be one of the few survivors from the Khao Lak resort area and he is recovering in a Bangkok hospital. The family now hopes Kali will turn up in a similar place. Recovery for Jai, Edmunds added, is hampered by the fact he was in a car accident just a few weeks before leaving Utah for Thailand.

The reunion between Jai and his father, Edmunds said, was a "touching" one. "He was so happy to be with his son." She believes the youth may be left with a lot of emotional scars that will be "hard to heal" over time.

"It's been a terrible week," Edmunds said. "But they're a very strong, very loving family and I know that love is going to help pull them through this."

---

E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com