Omagh woman witnesses over 70 migrants saved from drowning

AN Omagh woman has shared the dramatic and distressing moments she witnessed while on a cruise ship, when nearly 80 migrants were rescued from a sinking sailboat in the Mediterranean Sea.

On Monday night, 32-year-old Hannah McKeown, along with her fiancé, Dylan Dore, experienced a heart-stopping rescue operation off the southwestern coast of Greece.

The couple, who were on a Greek Island Cruise that had just departed from Rome, were alerted by an urgent announcement from their ship’s captain.

The captain informed passengers that the cruise ship was required to assist under maritime law, as a sailboat carrying dozens of migrants was in distress.

He also instructed passengers to avoid the outer decks as the rescue operation commenced.

The Hospital Road resident recounted the scene: “We could see a spotlight from our ship illuminating the distressed sailboat, which was visible near a cargo ship in the distance.”

The rescue mission, involving a Maltese-flagged cargo ship that discovered the sailboat 112 nautical miles southwest of Pylos, saw a rescue boat dispatched from the cruise ship.

The operation lasted several hours, during which the couple observed distressing moments from their balcony.

As the rescue boat returned, towing the sailboat filled with people, Hannah described the chaotic operation: “The sailboat was packed with men, women, and children. When the tow line snapped, there was a lot of panic and screaming from those on the boat.”

“I think we sat on our balcony for three to four hours watching, they were out there for ages,” she continued.

“A woman was shouting things like ‘I’m going to jump’, ‘My kids are on here’, ‘We are families!’

“I think she thought that we were going to leave them.”

The rescue boat managed to provide supplies and evacuate the migrants one by one, prioritising children first.

The following day, the ship’s captain informed passengers that the migrants had been promised safety, but were left adrift in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

Reflecting on the experience, McKeown noted, “A lot of things go through your mind when you witness something like that.

“It was sad to see so many people just stuffed onto a small boat in the middle of the sea without lighting or safety measures.”

The ordeal left Hannah and her partner appreciative of their own lives.

She concluded, “It made Dylan and I very grateful for what we have at home, There’s people out there fleeing desperate situations in search of a better life for themselves and their kids.”