The 25-year-old Nemcova's British boyfriend was still missing.

"People were screaming and kids were screaming all over the place, screaming 'help, help'. And after a few minutes you didn't hear the kids any more," Nemcova told the New York Daily News from her hospital bed in Thailand. She suffered a broken pelvis and internal injuries.

The swimsuit model feels "lucky to be alive," after being hit by a wall of water at the Thai resort of Khao Lak, Rob Shuter, a representative for Nemcova, told AFP.

"She's in hospital, I think she feels very lucky to be alive and she's now safe, she's going to be OK."

Nemcova, 25, had been vacationing in Thailand with her British fashion photographer boyfriend Simon Atlee, 33, who was still missing Tuesday.

"We are hoping to move her out within the next two or three days," Shuter said, adding that Nemcova "is very concerned that there's still no news on Simon."

Nemcova made a 10-day holiday in Thailand a surprise Christmas gift to Atlee. They were halfway through the stay when the devastating earthquake and tsunami struck early Sunday.

"They were on the beach in their hut -- they've rented like a hut in the beach," Shuter said. "The water came in and swept the hut away."

"This huge wave just pulled us out of the house," the swimsuit model, 25, told the New York Daily News.

Nemcova managed to grab the top of a palm tree and wait eight hours to be rescued. Atlee was swept away.

As bodies of the tsunami victims floated by, "I just tried to survive and tried to keep positive," she added.

"There were so many people with horrible injuries, with blood everywhere. It was like a war movie," Nemcova said.

The model has graced the front cover of Sports Illustrated's special swimsuit issue and also modeled Victoria's Secret lingerie line.