KUALA TERENGGANU: The captain of the yacht Daisy will never forget his harrowing experience of swimming in the open ocean for nearly 48 hours to survive after his vessel sank near Pulau Yu last Tuesday.
Ahmet Volkan Ata, 52, from Turkiye, said he could only swim and float when exhausted, praying to be spotted by a fishing boat.
“I kept swimming day and night. I intended to get close to the coastline and hoped to meet fishermen or find something to hold onto. Sometimes I was confused between reality and a dream,“ he told Bernama at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (HSNZ).
Grateful after two days battling the ocean, he was rescued by a local fishing boat. Recalling the incident, he said a storm struck suddenly, sinking the yacht in seconds due to an open window.
“It happened in 20 or 30 seconds. I couldn’t react. Although the boat sank, we managed to swim up,“ he said, adding he was steering while two others slept.
One survivor, Ates Demiroren, 42, swam over 20 hours before rescue. He hopes their missing friend, Eser Demirkol, is found soon.
“After sinking, Volkan and I surfaced, but Demirkol couldn’t swim and sank with the yacht,“ he said. Demiroren swam toward a fishing boat, screaming for help until noticed.
Terengganu Tourism Chairman Datuk Razali Idris said the state will assist the survivors until they reach the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
“They are stable but may need monitoring after prolonged exposure to water,“ he said. Authorities are handling lost documentation, including passports.
The trio were on a voyage from Malaysia to Turkiye when the storm hit. Demiroren was rescued yesterday, Volkan Ata last night, while Demirkol remains missing. – Bernama
