A KENT couple twice narrowly escaped with their lives when their last two holidays coincided with massive disasters.

John and Jackie Branch, of Shelley Rise, Rochester, were on holiday in the Maldives when the devastating Boxing Day tsunami struck.

And they were in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina began to wreak havoc last month.

Mr and Mrs Branch were just about to go snorkelling on Boxing Day morning in the Maldives when a massive 20ft wave crashed in to their beachside bungalow.

Mrs Branch, 55, opened the door and saw the wave seconds before it struck. Shortly after, the whole island became submerged. She said: “It was unbelievable, so many things that were there when we went to bed had just been completely washed away.

“One man we had arranged to go snorkelling with was found dead on a completely different island where the wave had carried him.”

Mr Branch, 57, managed to pull his wife to safety and they headed further inland.

When news reached home about the wave, it was reported that the Maldives had been completely submerged so the couple’s eldest daughter Lisa, 34, started planning a funeral as no contact had been made for three days.

On their return to Rochester the couple started planning another trip and set their hearts on a holiday in the United States.

Cab driver Mr Branch said: “We arrived in Memphis and were told by locals that we must visit New Orleans. So we decided to take a trip there, but as we got near we could see that cars were just being tossed around and trees were being uprooted.

“Jackie was screaming and we both thought it was all happening all over again, so we quickly turned around our car and headed away as fast as we could.

Mr and Mrs Branch were also on a plane that left Heathrow just before PanAm flight 103 took off in December 1988 and exploded over Lockerbie.

“A lot of people have been asking where we’re going to go on holiday next so they can stay well clear but we think the Dominican Republic sounds nice,” said Mr Branch.