Anything under the Sun
The sinking of MV Don Juan (2)
What really happened? According to the captain of MV Don Juan, his 2,310-ton liner was rammed by the northbound tanker MV Tacloban City. But according to the tanker's skipper, it was MV Don Juan which hit his tanker on its front side.
Which is which? The Board of Marine Inquiry believed later, the liner's captain.
The nightmare
The next fifteen minutes after the collision was really a nightmare which would haunt the survivors for many, many years. For the cabin passengers where the hole was torn, there was very little time to rush out for safety because of shock and rushing water. Perhaps, many there even never knew what had happened.
The sea water flooded in so fast that many were trapped inside their cabins. For those a little farther far away from the hole, there was some time to run to the upper deck or jump through the portholes. In many instances, porthole glasses were forcibly broken to permit passengers to pass through. One man had time enough to push his children through the porthole but left inside his fat wife who could not pass through.
For the passengers on the deck, panic immediately ensued when the ship's lights blacked out. People were milling around looking for someone - shouting or crying. Children were looking for their parents; parents for their children; some for their companions - brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, nephews and nieces.
There was a mad scramble for the life jackets and life boats. Stronger men were seen grabbing life vests from women and children. Passengers inside floating lifeboats were eased out by stronger late comers. The rule that night was: To each his own.