Brit tourists were left facing off against a huge boat inferno this week. The horrifying moment was caught on video.
Families of holidaymakers were on board the burning boat just off the Greek island of Rhodes when it went up in flames, with passengers forced to leap into the ocean below.
The fire broke out with the vessel just 300 metres from Stenga beach in the town of Archangelos. The blaze engulfed the entire wooden deck, leaving those on board with no choice.
READ MORE: OceanGate still advertising Titanic trips for next year despite sub catastrophe
In total, 82 passengers jumped into the ocean to their safety, and witnesses say children were left "traumatised" by the terrifying ordeal.
Nothing but ruins were left of the ship after it caught fire, with footage from the coastline showing the entire ship with smoke billowing from it.
According to the Daily Mail, all 82 passengers were rescued and taken to land, though the blaze left families scrambling for their safety, as one person on board described "a lot of panic".
Crew members first alerted passengers to the fire and bellowed out orders which, according to Shaun Williams, 55, were not understood.
Shaun told the Daily Mail: "The crew tried to fight the fire but the boat was made of wood and the fire grew quickly. They started handing out life jackets and a minute later the captain said we all need to get in the sea.
"There were families with young children and a lot of panic. We could not get down the stairs and had to climb over the top bannister and drop to the lower deck."
Shaun, a mechanical engineer, began shouting at other families to plunge into the water away from the fire as rescue crews handed out life jackets.
He added: "We all jumped in and I would say within a minute or two the place we had been standing was fully ablaze."
By the time coast guard officials had accounted for everyone at a restaurant they were told to stay at, the boat had burned up and sank into the ocean, with a Central Port Authority official saying measures will now be taken to prevent marine pollution.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.
Source: Read Full Article