Three Filo Jet Survivors: “They Locked the Doors, Nobody Helped”

Burak Arif Kaya, 23, Sudenaz Sönmez, 20, and Burak Can Keskin, 22, were taken to Adana’s Kozan district by AFAD teams after being rescued. The three were later reunited with their families.

Kaya, a student at Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University, said they noticed the vessel was taking on water shortly after boarding. He said they alerted the captain, who allegedly replied: “I’ve been a captain for years. I know this better than you do.”

“Soon afterwards, the inside of the ferry began filling with water. Nobody was helping. They had locked the doors. There was no one left around. The captain and his assistant jumped overboard,” Kaya said.

He said he helped an eight-month pregnant woman escape through a window, along with Keskin, Sönmez and three children. “There weren’t enough life jackets,” he added.

Keskin said the floors were already wet when they boarded. “The moment the ferry stopped, it started sinking. We broke a window and got out. Otherwise, we couldn’t have escaped. The waves were huge. Even someone who knew how to swim could have drowned. Everyone was fighting for their lives,” he said.

Keskin’s father, Cem Keskin, said his son called him during the disaster and told him: “We’re drowning, Dad. Our ship is sinking. Forgive me.”

“Hours later, when he called and said, ‘Dad, we survived, they brought us ashore,’ we were overwhelmed with joy. We are so happy to have our son back. May God bless everyone who helped,” he said.