Shipwreck terror for tourists (From Stroud News and Journal)

Shipwreck terror for tourists

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A STROUD man who cannot swim has told how he survived a shipwreck in Cuba in shark-infested waters.

John Williams was on a Caribbean fishing trip with friends when disaster struck. The day had begun well with what seemed like the perfect morning, floating lazily across the sun-drenched tropical sea on a 40ft fishing boat.

But when the party dropped anchor in a cove to stop for lunch the boat began drifting back out to sea.

"We asked what was going on but the crew told us not to worry - the anchor was just slipping in the silt," said Mr Williams.

"But when it was time to leave and they tried to start the engine it wouldn't go. "They radioed for another boat and we thought we'd just have to wait for a bit.

"But we started drifting out to sea into choppy water and then started getting washed towards a rocky headland.

"One of the crew said we might have to swim for it but I told him I couldn't swim and neither could one of the others.

"The rocks were dark volcanic stuff, sharp as razors and towering about 10 feet above the deck.

"As we were dragged towards the rocks we knew it was getting serious. "If the boat went into those rocks it was going to be smashed to pieces, so we put on our lifejackets and prepared for the worst."

Waves were crashing all around them, the crew was starting to panic and there was still no sign of the rescue boat.

"When we were about ten feet from the rocks and it was obvious we were going to hit them, the crew shouted 'jump, amigos, jump' and dived off the boat," said Mr Williams.

"The swell of the waves was seven or eight feet high but by then I knew that I was better off in the water than on the boat.

Even though he could not swim and knew hungry sharks cruised the Caribbean Ocean Mr Williams lept into the waves.

"Once we were in the water, we just struck out towards the open sea away from the rocks. "One of the others, Chas Hatherell, used to be in the Stroud water polo team so is a strong swimmer. He helped me and one of the other lads to safety.

"We had to wait in the water for about 20 minutes before the rescue boat turned up. "Our boat was on the rocks by then and getting smashed up, it broke to pieces.

"When they tried to tow it free it sank like a stone." The Stroud holiday-makers were ferried back to safety where the full impact of their ordeal hit them.

"At the time we were laughing and joking about it because the adrenaline was pumping a bit," said Mr Williams.

"But afterwards it really hit us how lucky we'd been. "We could so easily have been caught on those rocks ourselves and if we'd been waiting in the water much longer some of us would have given up, it was awful when you look back."