Sarıbuğa said the accident on the ship he boarded to return from Kyrenia occurred about 15 to 20 minutes after departure. He said the ship first began to sway and take on water, after which the seats came loose from their fixtures.
Sarıbuğa said the passengers asked the crew to turn back, adding that the ship collapsed during the maneuver. He said he and the other passengers broke the window above them and got out on their own.
Sarıbuğa said he suffered a head injury during the accident. He said some people fell into the water when part of the ship broke apart, while he remained on the upper section of the vessel.
Sarıbuğa said he held a mother by the arm to prevent her from falling into the water while they waited to be rescued. He said Coast Guard teams and fishermen from the area later arrived and rescued the passengers.

His son was not allowed onto the ship
Sarıbuğa said he wanted to take his 12-year-old son Berkay to stay with his aunt in Cyprus, but the boy was not allowed onto the ship because there was no photograph on his identity card. He said his son and older son therefore returned home, while he traveled alone by ship.
Berkay also said that his father wanted to take him on vacation, but he was not allowed onto the ship because his identity card did not contain a photograph and therefore could not join the trip.