Abu Dhabi: Jahangir Khan, who spent nearly 18 hours adrift in the sea, said his close brush with death has left him badly shaken.
He is the sole survivor of the Danah III which sank off the coast of Abu Dhabi on February 11.
"All I can think now is of meeting my family, my wife and my child & I never thought I would live to see them again," he said.
The 32-year-old Khan, a Pakistani driver, was one of nine people aboard a cargo ship carrying trucks when it sank in hostile weather.
Khan recounted his experience during an exclusive interview with Gulf News.
He said he was on the lower deck of the ship along with two other drivers, Guladin and Aql Jan, around 7pm.
"The weather had been bad for one or two hours then. It just kept getting worse and worse," he said.
One of the crew members handed life jackets to those on board.
Khan said he heard some people praying and then jumping into the sea.
"There was not even a moment to think & it all happened that quickly. The ship turned upside down."
"I was submerged for what seemed like about 4 to 5 minutes until I finally came up to the surface," said Khan, who had donned a life jacket.
It was difficult to make sense of what was happening because he felt dizzy, he said.
"[A] few minutes later, I realised I was out in the dark open sea & all surrounded by water, with not a speck of light and strong wind blowing me from one direction to another," Khan said.
"Nothing was in my control and I just kept drifting in the sea in all directions."
The next 9 to 10 hours were scariest, Khan said.
"I was scared to the core and all those images of the man-eating gigantic fishes, some of which I have seen in my previous sea journeys, crossed my mind & I prayed and longed to see my family."
Khan rued the fact that he was awake for the entire ordeal.
"Looking back, I feel unconsciousness would have been a blessing," he said.
"It was when the sun rose that I finally felt a bit relieved. I tried to swim in the sun's direction."
Nearly 18 hours had passed. Around noon on February 12 Khan reached an island.
He saw a house in the distance. Once he dragged himself there, he found some workers who helped him with clothing, hot water and food.
They also informed the authorities and later took him to a nearby island for treatment.
He suffered hip and back injuries, he said.
Two days later he returned to Abu Dhabi.
However, the same luck did not await his friends.
Guladin's body, swollen and discoloured, had been recovered from the wreckage of the ship. Jan is still missing along with five others.
Khan said he had grown close to them as they came from the same country. They all worked with the Al Arrif Transport and Marine company.
" & I realised the moments we shared in the ship were the last I saw of them."
Khan has been in his present job for eight months and has gone on at least 25 similar sea trips.
But he said he will never be able to put the incident behind him.
"I have no plans of resuming work now. The priority is to see my family and put an end to the trauma they have faced since learning about the accident."
Abu Dhabi On February 11, the cargo ship Danah III set sail with nine men aboard. The ship was sailing from Jebel Al Dhana to Jirneen Island to deliver a cargo of four trucks.
Five of the men were the crew - three Indians, one Bangladeshi and one Indonesian. They were working with Delma Cooperative Society (DCS), which owned the ship. The other four were Pakistani truck drivers employed with Al Arrif Transport and Marine Company.
Only one man survived the accident - Jahangir Khan, a driver. Two bodies have been recovered.
The bodies were identified as those of Eman Suryadi, the Indonesian crew member and Guladin, a Pakistani driver.
An intensive search is continuing.
Ill-fated trip
On February 11, the cargo ship called Danah iii set sail with nine men onboard. The ship was sailing from Jebel Al Dhana to Jirneen Island to deliver a cargo of four trucks. Five of the men were the crew - three Indians, one Bangladeshi and one Indonesian. They were working with Delma Cooperative Society.The other four were Pakistani truck drivers employed with Al Arrif Transport and Marine Company.
Until now, only one man survived the accident Jahangir Khan, a driver. And two bodies were recovered. The bodies were identified as that of Eman Suryadi, an Indonesian crew member and Guladin, a Pakistani driver. The remaining six people continue to be missing as intensive search is ongoing.
Numbers
Total men aboard the ship 9
Alive-1
Missing -6
Dead 2
Ordeal: Sequence of events
Timeline of events based on the calls the captain of the ship, Mohammad Hussain Noor made to his friend Gaffar Mousa, a seaman with DCS:
3.35 pm on February 11 - The captain called asking for the weather forecast. I [Mousa] told him that I had not received the forecast yet.
At 4.30 pm - Captain called saying that the wind was gaining momentum.
At 5 pm - Captain called to say that he was changing the route.
At 7.12 pm - Captain called me for the very last time. The call only lasted 14 seconds.
