LONDON - Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova, who appeared on the cover of 2003 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, was injured and her photographer boyfriend is missing after the pair were caught up in the Asian tsunami disaster, a spokeswoman for the boyfriend said Tuesday.
Nemcova and British photographer Simon Atlee had been vacationing in the resort of Phuket when the waves swept over them on Sunday, said Atlee's agent, Eve Stoner.
"She is in hospital and he is missing. We don't have any further information than that at the moment," Stoner said,
The Sun newspaper reported Tuesday that Nemcova clung to a tree for eight hours as the water swirled around her. It said she suffered a shattered hip and internal injuries.
Stoner said British authorities had no information on Atlee's fate.
"We are just very hopeful," she said. "As time goes on we are getting quite frantic and stressed about it. Our thoughts are really with Petra and Simon's family at the moment."
"It just seems horrific, like something out of a movie," she added.
Nemcova, 25, has appeared in magazines including Sports Illustrated, Marie Claire and Vogue, and also has modeled for Victoria's Secret.
Atlee, 33, is a well-known fashion photographer who recently shot the pictures for Nemcova's 2005 calendar.
