Ferry survivors' horror tales

Survivors were taken onto HMS Invincible for treatment

Survivors from a Greek ferry that sank after hitting rocks off the holiday island of Paros have been telling of how they only received a three-minute warning that the ship was going down.

Survivor Zoe Kolida said: "The ship fell apart as it sank. There were people hanging from the railings. Children were crying and old people were screaming.

I thought of the Titanic - There were old women and others who were afraid to jump into the sea

Survivor Stamatis Delavinias

"I jumped in and looked back after about 50 yards (metres) and the ship was gone."

Another survivor, engineer Stamatis Delavinias, said the collision "was very strong".

"I thought of the Titanic. There were old women and others who were afraid to jump in the sea."

Panic

"We were watching television at the time in one of the lounges. I'm a seaman and we went to the aft. The vessel started listing and there was panic," passenger Andreas Spanos told Greek television.

Some survivors were taken to a health centre on Paros

"Lots of people jumped into the sea. I jumped into the sea. I knew the vessel was going to sink once it started listing."

He said he could hear a lot of people on the ship who were screaming behind him.

"A fishing boat picked me up and brought me to shore on Paros, but there were old ladies and young children on board. I don't know what happened to these people."

Turned into a slide

Passenger Effi Hiou told how she scrambled out of bed onto the deck and was then thrown off the ship as started to sink.

"The ship's left side was touching the sea and it turned into a slide. One after the other, we fell into the sea.

I heard the cries of a baby in the water - I managed to save it but his mother drowned

Passenger George Kioulafis

"I saw a flare after I fell into the sea and a fishing boat from Paros in the distance.

"I called out to people in boats, 'Take us as well, help us!'. People, young and old, were calling out.

"I was swimming but I was wearing shoes and pyjamas. I started to get cold."

"Every metre or so, I would call for help ... I felt a hand grab my foot. I told them don't pull me, I don't know how to swim very well, don't pull me, I'm trying to swim."

"I had been swimming for one-and-a-quarter hours when I found a plank of wood - I don't know where it came from. A suitcase hit me on the head...

"This will be our tomb"

"Big waves were coming. We kept swallowing water and we said this will be our tomb. We carried on calling out for help to the fishing boat."

"The fishing boat approached. Just before midnight it came to us. It was full. The people were piled on like sheep. They were all soaked.

Helicopters were used to rescue people from the sea

"Three coast guard on the boat threw me a rope and pulled me in. I was shivering, along with everyone else.

"I heard the cries of a baby in the water - I managed to save it but his mother drowned," passenger George Kioulafis said from Hotel Argo in Paros.

"The real heroes were the local fishermen who rushed to help us, we owe them a big thank you.

"The waves would have thrown us against the rocks had it not been for the local fishermen," he said.