The young British Columbia man who refused to stop searching for his missing fiance after she went missing in last month's tsunami, has ended his hunt on a heartbreaking note.

Family members in Vancouver tell CTV News that Michael Lang has finally identified the body of his late girlfriend Rubina Wong, by means of her unique tattoos.

Wong, Lang and Lang's sister Christine had been vacationing on the popular Thai resort, Phi Phi island, when the tsunami struck on Dec. 26.

While Michael was off preparing to go scuba diving, Christina and Rubina were strolling to a beach spa when they were first alerted something was amiss.

"I heard this horrific rumbling noise and I turned to my left for a brief second and I saw this massive wave coming right towards us... coming down a small, narrow street," Christina Lang told CTV's Vicki Gabereau.

"I saw the wave, looked at Rubina and yelled, 'Run Rubina, run!' And then the next moment, I was in the wave."

The next few moments are a blurred memory of rushing ocean water, crushing debris and the desperate struggle to stay alive. Lang credits her skills as a swimmer with seeing her through those terrifying moments.

"It was just gut instinct. I saw light and I kept swimming for the light," she said. When the waves receded, Christina was shocked, but alive. Unfortunately, Wong was not as strong in the water and could not be found.

Michael, who had managed to outrun the rushing water, was determined not to leave Thailand until he located his missing girlfriend. So, against the advice of Canadian diplomats who suggested his efforts were in vain, Lang waged a determined, personal hunt.

In an interview with The Globe and Mail on Sunday, Lang said he was frustrated that, despite the hundreds of Canadians missing and unaccounted for in the area, Ottawa and its representatives offered little support.

"They only wanted to put me on a plane and get me out of the country," he told the paper. "They've located very few of the missing people. There's no sign of them aggressively searching. They did nothing with all of the information I gave them, which is shocking."

The same could not be said for other countries with fewer people missing, he added, pointing to Hong Kong as an example.

Because Wong and her father were residents of Hong Kong, he said, some of the 21 police officers dispatched by that territorial government helped him in his search.

Although Lang believes his determination not to leave before locating Wong has saved her family from months of emotional anguish, their wait is not over.

Reporting from Thailand, CTV's Steve Chao said the next step is to begin the difficult process of sending her body back to Canada.

"We're being told there's a lot of red tape here," Chao said from Thailand on Tuesday, noting the government requires a direct DNA match before she can be released. "It could take up to two months and obviously a very big emotional stress for the family to wait that long."