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Desperate situation

Until then, I was very optimistic, hoping that even if we lost our cars and luggage, we could at least get away with it. Now, with the flames behind us, there was no room for optimism. However, despite the danger, I remained calm.

I saw people leaning over the railing and I thought they had come down the stairs to get into the lifeboats. But when I looked, I saw the sea full of people! Instead of the stairs, heavy ropes were tied to the balustrade and people fell into the sea. The deck was about fifty feet above the water, and the idea of ​​hanging it was an empty space and letting me fall, even not knowing if the ship was at rest or not, it almost made my blood run cold. He was without a life jacket and did not know where the others had found his.

Looking at the captain's deck, I saw a crewman wearing a life jacket and asked him if he would give it to me. He took it off and started throwing it away. But we saw that the strong wind would blow, leaving us both without life jackets. I thanked him and turned to see if there was another way to help. Then I saw a life jacket on the deck. Someone told me it was even better than a life jacket so I took it.

I barely had it in my hands when a young man, himself without a life jacket and with a girl in his arms, approached me and said: “Please give it to me. There are four of us and we don't have life jackets. Beside him was his wife with another baby in her arms. I gave it to him immediately.

I felt sorry for the fate of this young family. How could they get along with two children? In front of them was a young man who was about to enter the track. Desperate, his father begged him to take one of his sons. The man selflessly agreed and with rare skill and attention began to carry the baby. The show was impressive and I was very happy to learn later that all four members of this family were saved.

At sea

Now I needed to do something myself. There was no time to lose. The smoke grew thicker and the wind stronger. I had no choice; I had to go overboard on one of the lines! I mustered all my courage, threw down my raincoat, bag, and shoes, and went up the ramp. I held the line firmly; the weight of my body is pulling me down fast. Due to the speed of my descent, I sank into the water. I immediately struggled to get back to the surface. I took a deep breath and tried to get away from the lines that floated the length of the ship.

It was then that I noticed deep wounds on some fingers and the palm of my left hand, but I felt no pain. The sea was filled with people and, one after another, others came from above. More than once, people fell on top of me, pushing me into the water.

I tried to escape from the boat, but it was not easy, because great waves were catapulting against it. I felt like I was in the middle of a giant vortex that dragged me under the ship, which rose like a huge terrifying mountain above our heads. It was terrible! I clearly saw the danger of drowning at any moment.

To make matters worse, there was a lifeboat suspended overhead. No one knew if he was going to fall or stay halfway. Then, as the fire spread on board, pieces of a burning ship began to fall around us.

As the danger increased, I made an extra effort and swam toward the ship's propeller. Fortunately, the ship had stopped. I took the vine and held it for a few minutes to catch my breath and get some rest. So I started swimming in the sea.

Fight to survive

Nearby was a woman floating in a life jacket. I heard her shout "Socorro, Socorro" (Help, Help), in a weak voice. She was a middle-aged woman and most likely she did not know the sea and as we were still near the ship I told her to try to escape so as not to get hurt by falling pieces of fire. . I took her hand and swam with my other arm, trying to get out.

The waves were big, 1.5 to 2.5 meters high, and swimming was not easy. However, I took the lady's hand. I turned to see how she was doing, but her face seemed lifeless. When I called, I got no answer. Her eyes were open and her expression was calm. But she didn't know if she fainted or died.

The sea became more rough, which made my situation critical, mainly because I did not have a life jacket. My dress was also a burden, but I couldn't get rid of it. Nearby, I saw a half-burned rope ladder floating in the water. I tried to make it happen because it could help me stay afloat, but I couldn't.

I saw that there was nothing else to do but swim in the two boats I had seen before going out to sea. Now there was also a third ship. I held the lady's life jacket in one hand as I swam across the rough sea. He was alone, like a nutshell in the middle of the immense sea, with a woman; Visibly dead next to me.

Hours passed and there was no evidence of help. The waves got bigger and more violent. I tried to ride the crest of each wave when it hit me. Keeping my partner's life jacket dead was helpful. But the constant struggle for survival left me very tired; My strength was weakening.

A helicopter flew overhead several times, apparently trying to find survivors. Then there was another. I saw him behind me while gathering people. When the helicopter approached me, I gestured with my hand for them to see me.

At the time, I was almost in one of the boats I had swum in, but the wind was pushing me to the right. With all my attention on the helicopter, I hadn't seen a boat approaching the water. Oh what a relief! What a joy!

Rescue

When they caught up with me, they threw down a heavy rope so that I could grab it and climb into the boat. But I couldn't do that. He was completely exhausted and had a cramp in his right leg. Then two of the sailors bent down and lifted me up with their strong arms. They immediately covered me with a blanket and gave me a glass of brandy that made me vomit the seawater I swallowed.

I was completely without strength. But what a feeling of satisfaction aboard this ship, released from the arms of a rough sea after more than three hours of fighting!

I felt sorry for my dead partner. The sailors had to leave them at sea while they ran to catch those they could find alive. But if he hadn't inadvertently helped me, I don't know if he would have survived.

There were other survivors with me on the ship who had already been recovered. They were all wrapped in blankets and their faces were extremely tired. The launch quickly searched for other survivors and, when full, returned to its base, a Yugoslav ship called Svoboda, which means "freedom."

The crew was very helpful. They provided almost everything on board. More than 100 survivors were already aboard the Svoboda, including Heleanna's captain, his wife, and several other crew members.

Mixed emotions

The image of the shipwreck survivors was pathetic. Of course, I saw joy and satisfaction on the tired faces, grateful to have survived. However, there were those who were very sick, some with burns or broken arms. And most of them, like me, injured their hands when pulling the ropes into the sea, many were extremely worried and did not know what was happening to the other members of the family.

Very moving was the scene of a young man who found his sister. They hugged crying because they did not know what had happened to their mother. The young man tried to help her, but then his strength ran out. There was a lady who was traveling with his four children. Two of them survived with her, but the two younger ones disappeared. Sitting in a corner, speechless, was an Italian woman who had seen her father drown before her eyes. Therefore, there was an atmosphere of deep sadness among many.

When the Svoboda fled to Bari, Italy, where we arrived about three hours later, we tried to dry our clothes in the sun and get some rest. We all think about what would happen if the fire broke out at night or if we moved away from the coast. There may have been no survivors. In fact, more than a thousand were saved and only about two dozen died.

Police officers, reporters, nurses, and first aid cars were ready to land. Those of us who needed medical attention were rushed to hospitals, where we received loving and loving care. Everything was done to relieve us, for which I am grateful. I will always remember with gratitude also my friends who visited me and who impressed the people around me in the hospital with their many spontaneous expressions of sincere Christian love.

I no longer feel physical pain from the injuries I suffered. And although my material loss was considerable, there is this consolation: I still have the expensive, my life.