Tourist Ferry Capsizes in Colombia, Killing at Least 9
The authorities could not say exactly how many people were on the boat
and asked passengers or relatives to report to a makeshift rescue center along the shore of the reservoir, which surrounds the soaring rocky outcrop of El Penol, a popular weekend destination a little more than an hour from Medellin.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSJUNE 25, 2017
GUATAPE, Colombia — Nine people died and 28 were missing after a tourist ferry packed with
about 170 passengers capsized Sunday on a reservoir near Medellin, officials said.
A major rescue effort involving Colombia’s Air Force
and firefighters from nearby cities searched for survivors at a reservoir in Guatape where the four-story boat, El Almirante, sank.
Margarita Moncada, the head of the disaster response agency in Antioquia state, said
that according to a preliminary report 99 people had been rescued and 40 others had made it to shore safely and in good condition.
As it went down, recreational boats and Jet Skis rushed to the scene to pull people from the ferry
and deliver them safely to the shore, avoiding an even deadlier tragedy.
"Those on the first and second floors sank immediately," a female survivor who was
not identified told Teleantioquia, a public television network in Colombia.