By David E. Hubler
Contributor, EDM Digest
The death toll stands at seven on Monday after a Colombian tourist boat loaded with more than 150 passengers capsized Sunday. Thirteen passengers remain missing, according to the Associated Press.
Scuba divers were continuing to search for bodies in the Guatape reservoir where the “El Almirante” ferry sank near the Colombian city of Medellin.
A small flotilla of recreational boats and jet skis rushed to the scene and began pulling people from the boat as it went down. Videos posted on social media show the party boat rocking back and forth as people scrambled down from a fourth-deck roof as it sank in a matter of minutes.
Survivors described hearing a loud explosion near the men’s bathroom that knocked out power minutes after the boat began its cruise around the giant lake. As water flooded on board, pressure built and people were sucked under by the sinking ship.
“Those on the first and second decks sank immediately,” survivor Lorena Salazar told local media as reported by AP. “All we could do was scream and call for help … it was completely chaotic.”
After suspending their search overnight due to a lightning storm, scuba divers returned Monday morning. By mid-morning they had pulled a seventh body from the underwater wreckage.
It’s unclear what caused the boat to sink. Authorities began looking into the causes of the sinking and whether the company that owned the boat contributed to the accident.
Some survivors and people who witnessed the tragedy from the nearby shore said the Almirante appeared to be overloaded. But President Juan Manuel Santos, who traveled to Guatape to oversee search efforts, said it was sailing well below capacity. None of the passengers was wearing a life vest.
“Nobody really knows what happened,” said Santos, adding that naval officials were brought in to carry out an investigation.
Among those gathered near the port looking for information about their loved ones was Alberto Villegas, who was separated from a cousin and uncle in the mad rush to abandon the sinking ship.
“All we ask is that they don’t give up the search,” said Villegas.
About the Author
David E. Hubler brings a variety of government, journalism and teaching experience to his position as a Quality Assurance Editor at APUS. David’s professional background includes serving as a senior editor at CIA and the Voice of America. He has also been a managing editor for several business-to-business and business-to-government publishing companies. David has taught high school English in Connecticut and at Northern Virginia Community College. He has a master’s degree for Teachers of English from the University of New Hampshire and a B.A. in English from New York University. David’s 2015 book, “The Nats and the Grays, How Baseball in the Nation’s Capital Survived WWII and Changed the Game Forever,” was recently published in paperback by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
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