This is the moment panicked tourists screamed as their packed speedboat began sinking after being hit by a huge wave in the Maldives.
Unsettling video showed how the vessel took on water while ferrying 45 passengers and three crew from Dhigurah Island to the capital, Malé on Sunday.
Gao, a 27-year-old passenger, said the conditions on the water were very rough that morning, and that a wave damaged the engine less than an hour after they set off.
The Huvafen ‘ferry speedboat’ soon began listing as it took on water, creating chaotic scenes on board as passengers tried to inflate their jackets.
Some began jumping overboard themselves, fearing that they would not have time to get out as water started to rise above the windows.
‘Everyone was actually very panicked, especially some foreign tourists because the captain did not give any instructions,’ Gao said.
‘As I’m a diver, I helped them inflate their life jackets and made sure everyone stayed together.’
The ship sank within just five minutes of all the passengers vacating, Gao said.
Rescue boats were quickly sent out to help the victims, with four children counted among the passengers.
But the desperate operation lasted over an hour and a half due to the poor weather.
The water was rough and a huge wave caused the engine to fail
Passengers on board showed the water lashing at the windows
Passengers filmed their horror as they watched the water rise above the windows
After enjoying a diving trip in the Maldives, Gao said she had booked the ferry with plans of flying back to Melbourne from Malé.
The diving instructor, who lives in Australia, explained: ‘The boat left at 7am and was expected to arrive in an hour and a half.
‘There were nearly 50 people on board, and each person had one or two large suitcases.
‘The weather was not very good that day, and the sea was very rough.’
She said a large wave hit the cabin at around 7.40am that apparently caused damage to the engine.
At around 8.10am, the boat began to tilt at a steep angle and water entered the cabin.
Within another ten minutes, ‘more and more water entered the cabin, and the water level outside was almost level with the windows’.
‘Everyone was rushing to inflate their life jackets.
Water could be seen rushing under the passengers’ feet before they fled
Passengers held on tightly as the boat was thrown from side to side
‘At about 8.40am, the water was above the windows and the whole boat was tilting.
‘Everyone was afraid they would not be able to get out in time, some people started to jump overboard on their own.
‘The captain then said “Get ready to jump overboard”‘.
The boat sank within five minutes of the tourists vacating the boat, she said.
‘Many tourists could not swim or inflate their life jackets, and they were choking in the water.’
Gao said the water was about 100 feet deep and there were no shallows nearby.
She stated: ‘Three rescue boats arrived at around 9am, but the waves were too big for people to get on board.
The rescue lasted about an hour and a half, she said.
They later filmed themselves on the water while waiting for rescue teams to arrive
All passengers were reportedly picked up safe and sound
But passengers said many of their possessions were left on the sinking boat and lost
Gao said her purse, laptop, passport, filming gear, and diving equipment were all lost as the boat sank to the bottom of the sea.
The incident occurred on March 2, while a yellow alert for thunderstorms and strong winds was issued for the central region of the Maldives, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Police stated that ‘all passengers and crew were taken back to Dhigurah Island and are in good health’.
They also confirmed that an investigation into the dramatic sinking is underway.
