A newlywed couple held onto each other for dear life when their boat sank off the Maldives on March 2, with only one life jacket between them.
The harrowing incident happened when Brazilian doctor Caio Gomes and his wife, businesswoman Fernanda Diniz, were pleasure boating on their honeymoon, the New York Post reported on Tuesday.
As they and several others were enjoying the trip, a huge wave smashed into the boat carrying 56 passengers and three crew members. However, the ship did not sink immediately but began leaning to one side.
Gomes said, “So, I think what happened was that the boat hit a wave hard, and something broke in the boat’s gutter and water got into that compartment.”
When the crew told everyone to put on their life jackets everyone began abandoning ship, Gomes added. He recalled no one was hurt during the ordeal.
When the couple got into the water, their life jackets reportedly would not inflate. They eventually found a working one and shared it.
Video footage appears to show another ship in the distance as several people, all wearing yellow life jackets, bobbed up and down in the water:
Another ship rescued the group about 30 to 40 minutes later, the Post noted. “The only casualty was a backpack containing the couple’s passports, forcing them to contact the Brazilian embassy in Sri Lanka so they could return to their homeland.”
According to Tactical.com, one of the main reasons people find themselves in danger on the open seas is due to adverse weather conditions.
“Strong winds, lightning, and roaring waves can make navigation difficult and cause damage to the vessel, increasing the risk of capsizing or collision. You can be loaded with resources, but you still gotta keep your eyes on the horizon and your wits about you when the weather starts acting up,” the site reads.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that in February, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued three people stranded at sea for several hours after their boat capsized in Captiva Island, Florida.
