Flotilla of rescuers pull people from sinking boat

A tourist boat packed with about 160 passengers capsized on a reservoir near the Colombian city of Medellin, leaving at least six people dead and 31 missing.

Rescuers including firefighters from nearby cities and air force pilots searched for survivors at the Guatape reservoir where El Almirante ferry sank. People in a flotilla of recreational boats and jet skis pulled people from the boat as it went down and avoided an even deadlier tragedy.

Dramatic videos circulating on social media show the turquoise and yellow trimmed party boat rocking back and forth as people crawled down from a fourth-floor roof as it sank into the water in a matter of a few minutes. Survivors described hearing a loud explosion near the men’s bathroom that knocked out the power a few minutes after it began its cruise around the giant lake. As water flooded on board, pressure built and people were sucked under by the sinking ship.

“Those on the first and second floors sank immediately,” survivor Lorena Salazar said. “All we could do was scream and call for help . . . it was completely chaotic.”

Margarita Moncada, the head of the disaster response agency in Antioquia state, said that according to a preliminary report 99 people were rescued and a further 40 found a way to shore. She said nine people had been killed and around 28 were still missing.

But later President Juan Manuel Santos said 122 people were either rescued or found their way to shore. Six had died and a further 31 were missing, he said.

It’s unclear what caused the boat to sink. Some people who witnessed the tragedy from the nearby shore said the boat appeared to be overloaded but Santos said it was sailing well below capacity. None of the passengers was wearing a life vest. Complicating the search, there wasn’t even a passenger list.

— AP