Anything under the Sun
The sinking of MV Don Juan (3)
Redeeming this savage jungle scene at the sea were some acts of heroism and humanitarianism. A priest was last seen helping small children pass through a porthole. A couple of nuns in brown habits were last seen distributing life jackets. A crew member was doing the same. His lifeless body was later identified by one of his benefactors. Some passengers returned to their cabins for their trapped relatives and were never seen again.
As the ship began to sink, people jumped into the cold sea-some with life belts, some without. Some hit those ahead of them perhaps drowning the latter. Those who hesitated to jump were pushed out to the sea by those behind.
A Catholic priest, Fr. Deotao seeing many dying around conducted a general absorption before jumping into the sea. Luckily, he survived. The ship listed from side to side like toys pinning some passengers, perhaps-to death.
Some without live belts waited until water breast deep and clung to floating objects around. One survivor, not the ship captain, claimed to be the last man to abandon the sinking ship. According to him, he climbed the highest portion of the vessel and waited until the water was knee deep and seeing a floating plank, he jumped onto it. Another man, after jumping into the sea, was sucked deep but an unknown force pushed him back to the surfaced of the sea.
The sea scene
After the sea sunk, people scattered around the sea surface. Many were on the life boats and rafts filled to capacity. In some rafts, the people trying to cling to their sides were inhospitably pushed away by their occupants. In others, they were kindly treated. One man with a life vest was floating when a life boat passed by. He asked in English: Is there still a room for me? An occupant shouted at him: "Mapatay ka na English ka pa (you are about to die, you are still speaking English)." Happily, he was accommodated.