The photos were recovered from a smashed camera discovered by an American missionary surveying the beach a week after the disaster struck at Khao Lak, one of the worst hit areas in Thailand. After viewing the photos, Christian Pilet, 40, eventually tracked the camera's owners to West Vancouver and returned the photos to the Knills' three grown sons. ... the sons always wondered about the couple's last moments. Mr. Pilet has provided those answers.... The photos include a string of standard holiday shots of the smiling couple followed by a succession of more ominous photos taken early on Dec. 26 as the giant waves advanced toward land. Mr. Pilet said David Knill, 25, looked at the photos and asked: "Dad, why didn't you run? " Mr. Pilet had a different take. The Baptist missionary, who toured Khao Lak in the days after the tsunamis, said the waves destroyed everything in their path for more than two kilometres inland. No one on the beach that day could have survived. He thinks John and Jackie sensed this, which is why they snapped the photos. "I think it took a lot of courage to take those pictures," said Mr. Pilet ...