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 yacht sank in the waters of Pulau Yu on Tuesday (July 29).
Ahmet Volkan Ata, 52, from Turkiye, said he could only swim and would float when he felt tired, all while praying to be found by a fishing boat.
“I kept swimming day and night. I hoped that I’m going to meet fishermen or some floating object that I can grab.
“I didn’t know what was real or not. I was hallucinating,” he told Bernama when met at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (HSNZ) here on Friday (Aug 1).
Though at times he feel like giving up, Volkan Ata said he was grateful he was finally found by a local fishing boat after two days of battling the ocean.
Recounting the tense moments, he said during a strong storm, his yacht sank hastily because one of the windows was open.
“It happened like in 20 or 30 seconds. I couldn’t find time to do or react against anything.
“Although the boat sank we managed to swim up,” he said.
Volkan Ata was steering the yacht while the other two on board were sleeping.
Meanwhile, one of the rescued passengers, Ates Demiroren, 42, who also swam for over 20 hours to save himself, expressed hope that their friend Eser Demirkol, who is still missing, would be found soon.
He said after the yacht sank, he and Volkan Ata managed to swim back to the surface and were still communicating.
But Demirkol could not swim and was seen sinking with the yacht.
“I just kept swimming for more than 20 hours. Some boats were passing by but they didn’t notice me.
“Luckily I saw a fishing boat and I swam to them about one kilometer while screaming for help until they noticed me,” he said.
Terengganu Tourism, Culture, Environment and Climate Change Committee Chairman Datuk Razali Idris said the state government would assist the two survivors until they safely reach the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
“They are both in stable and healthy condition but may need to be warded for another one or two days as doctors still want to monitor their condition.
“We have also contacted the Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and a representative will come here soon to assist the victims,” he said.
Razali said the state government, along with the police and the Turkish Embassy in Malaysia, are also handling the documentation, including their passports, which were lost in the incident.
The three Turkish men were participants in a voyage who had planned to tour the continent from Malaysia to their home country on Monday (July 28).
However, on Tuesday afternoon, the yacht was hit by a storm and is believed to have sunk in the waters of Pulau Yu.
Demiroren was found floating in the waters and rescued by local fishermen yesterday afternoon, while Volkan Ata was found safe by a local fishing boat last night after nearly 48 hours adrift at sea. Demirkol is still missing. — Bernama
