INTERNATIONAL:  A 57-year-old Tongan man who has claimed he swam around 27 hours after getting swept out to sea during the recent devastating tsunami has been hailed a "real life Aquaman".

Lisala Folau, who lived on the small, isolated island of Atata which has a population of about 60 people, was swept out to sea when the waves hit land at about 7 p.m. on Saturday ,January 15.

"My legs are disabled and my disability and my legs don't function as well. So I went underwater eight times and I tried to get air. The sea kept twirling me and taking me underwater," he has narrated on Friday,January 21 from the Tongan capital city of Nukuʻalofa. He has managed to grab hold of a log on the ninth time he went underwater and kept floating before slowly swimming 7.5 km to the main island of Tongatapu, reaching the shore 27 hours later at about 10 p. m. on Sunday ,January 16.

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano on Saturday has killed at least three people, sent tsunami waves rolling across the archipelago, damaging villages, resorts and many buildings and knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people.

Folau's heroics have gone viral on social media, and one Facebook post called him a "real life Aquaman", referring to the comic book and film character.

When asked if he knew who Aquaman was, Flolau has answered ; "No, not yet ... I give praise and glory to God because it gave me the opportunity to be able to see my family again."

Atata, about 8 kilometres northwest of Nuku'alofa, or a 30-minute boat ride, has been almost entirely destroyed in the tsunami that hit the islands.