American Tourist, 24, Describes Moment She Survived Sinking Ferry by Smashing Window: 'Didn't Even Think Twice'
A boat in Bali capsized this week while carrying 89 passengers — many of whom were tourists
On Wednesday, June 4, a wave struck the back of a ferry off the island of Nusa Lembongan and caused it to capsize, per multiple outlets
Lauren Dague, an American passenger onboard, told Good Morning America that it "felt like five minutes that it took for the entire boat to sink," after she broke through a windowA ferry carrying dozens of tourists capsized in Bali this week, and one American onboard is now reflecting on her experience breaking a window to get herself and others to safety.
On Wednesday, June 4, a wave struck the back of a boat off the island of Nusa Lembongan, according to reporting by the Associated Press, NBC News and news.com.au. The incident took place around 4:30 p.m. local time.
Local police told NBC that the wave caused the ship to "tilt to the left and lose balance." Per AP, the boat — named The Tanis — featured 125 seats and was carrying 89 tourists and crew when it departed from the island and began sinking.
Footage of the boat sinking, shared by multiple outlets, shows passengers break through glass, the cabin filling with water and the boat itself tipping over as passengers were rescued by locals.
Lauren Dague, who visited Bali to celebrate her 24th birthday, broke through a window with her foot to escape.
"There [were] babies, small children, old people. It felt like five minutes that it took for the entire boat to sink," Dague told Good Morning America in an interview that aired on Friday, June 6. "I just smashed the window with my foot. I didn't even think twice about it. And I know for a fact I saved at least three to five, six other people with my decision."
"People were just throwing themselves, just jumping across to the other boat," she added. "There [were] people in the water between the boats and could have easily gotten smushed."
She also spoke to NBC, saying, "everyone was panicking" amid the tragedy.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Klungklung Police spokesperson AKP Agus Widiono said, per the AP, that the boat was completely evacuated by 6:30 p.m. local time and no casualties were reported.
'"The Tanis was headed for Lembongan-Sanur Port. It was carrying four crew members and a captain, and 89 tourists. We have dispatched divers to ensure no one was trapped on the boat or on the seabed," the spokesperson said at the time. "Currently, two foreign passengers have departed for Sanur Port and the rest are staying in Nusa Lembongan."
According to news.com.au, 77 of the ferry's passengers were foreigners and 12 were Indonesian. Nicola Wood, a tourist from Australia who was traveling with her husband and two children recalled most people being "back on shore before life raft and life jackets were thrown out," as local boats came to the rescue, per the AP.
"We made it out, jumped into the water and swam to a nearby glass-bottom boat that took us back to shore," she said at the time. "Luggage is still washing up and being collected by Tanis staff."
Another Australian traveler, Megan Hughes, also recalled to 7News smashing through a window. She said she "didn't quite realize what was going on" since she was wearing headphones, but soon heard the "screams" and saw "water up to the seats."
'Glass was going everywhere. Kids were screaming," she said. "People who couldn't swim as well were screaming and grabbing any life jacket they could find. We were scrambling over each other to get out the window.'
Dague told NBC that while she's now dealing with bruises and stitches, she's thankful to be have survived the ordeal.
"I really did think that I was gonna die for a second," she said. "But I'm really glad, and pretty sure, that everybody's okay."
Read the original article on People
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
43 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Travel ban may shut door for Afghan family to bring niece to US for a better life
IRMO, S.C. (AP) — Mohammad Sharafoddin, his wife and young son walked at times for 36 hours in a row over mountain passes as they left Afghanistan as refugees to end up less than a decade later talking about their journey on a plush love seat in the family's three-bedroom suburban American home. He and his wife dreamed of bringing her niece to the U.S. to share in that bounty. Maybe she could study to become a doctor and then decide her own path. But that door slams shut on Monday as America put in place a travel ban for people from Afghanistan and a dozen other countries. 'It's kind of shock for us when we hear about Afghanistan, especially right now for ladies who are affected more than others with the new government,' Mohammad Sharafoddin said. 'We didn't think about this travel ban.' President Donald Trump signed the ban Wednesday. It is similar to one in place during his first administration but covers more countries. Along with Afghanistan, travel to the U.S. is banned from Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Trump said visitors who overstay visas, like the man charged in an attack that injured dozens of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, earlier this month, are a danger to the country. The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, which isn't included in the ban. The countries chosen for the ban have deficient screening of their citizens, often refuse to take them back and have a high percentage of people who stay in the U.S. after their visas expire, Trump said. The ban makes exceptions for people from Afghanistan on Special Immigrant Visas who generally worked most closely with the U.S. government during the two-decade war there. Thousands of refugees came from Afghanistan Afghanistan was also one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Trump suspended refugee resettlement on his first day in office. It is a path Sharafoddin took with his wife and son out of Afghanistan walking on those mountain roads in the dark then through Pakistan, Iran and into Turkey. He worked in a factory for years in Turkey, listening to YouTube videos on headphones to learn English before he was resettled in Irmo, South Carolina, a suburb of Columbia. His son is now 11, and he and his wife had a daughter in the U.S. who is now 3. There is a job at a jewelry maker that allows him to afford a two-story, three-bedroom house. Food was laid out on two tables Saturday for a celebration of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday . Sharafoddin's wife, Nuriya, said she is learning English and driving — two things she couldn't do in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. 'I'm very happy to be here now, because my son is very good at school and my daughter also. I think after 18 years they are going to work, and my daughter is going to be able to go to college,' she said. Family wants to help niece It is a life she wanted for her niece too. The couple show videos from their cellphones of her drawing and painting. When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, their niece could no longer study. So they started to plan to get her to the U.S. at least to further her education. Nuriya Sharafoddin doesn't know if her niece has heard the news from America yet. She hasn't had the heart to call and tell her. 'I'm not ready to call her. This is not good news. This is very sad news because she is worried and wants to come,' Nuriya Sharafoddin said. While the couple spoke, Jim Ray came by. He has helped a number of refugee families settle in Columbia and helped the Sharafoddins navigate questions in their second language. Ray said Afghans in Columbia know the return of the Taliban changed how the U.S. deals with their native country. But while the ban allows spouses, children or parents to travel to America, other family members aren't included. Many Afghans know their extended families are starving or suffering, and suddenly a path to help is closed, Ray said. 'We'll have to wait and see how the travel ban and the specifics of it actually play out,' Ray said. 'This kind of thing that they're experiencing where family cannot be reunited is actually where it hurts the most.' Taliban criticizes the travel ban The Taliban itself criticized Trump for the ban, with leader Hibatullah Akhundzada saying the U.S. was now the oppressor of the world. 'Citizens from 12 countries are barred from entering their land — and Afghans are not allowed either,' he said on a recording shared on social media. 'Why? Because they claim the Afghan government has no control over its people and that people are leaving the country. So, oppressor! Is this what you call friendship with humanity?' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Travel ban may shut door for Afghan family to bring niece to US for a better life
IRMO, S.C. (AP) — Mohammad Sharafoddin, his wife and young son walked at times for 36 hours in a row over mountain passes as they left Afghanistan as refugees to end up less than a decade later talking about their journey on a plush love seat in the family's three-bedroom suburban American home. He and his wife dreamed of bringing her niece to the U.S. to share in that bounty. Maybe she could study to become a doctor and then decide her own path. But that door slams shut on Monday as America put in place a travel ban for people from Afghanistan and a dozen other countries. 'It's kind of shock for us when we hear about Afghanistan, especially right now for ladies who are affected more than others with the new government,' Mohammad Sharafoddin said. 'We didn't think about this travel ban.' President Donald Trump signed the ban Wednesday. It is similar to one in place during his first administration but covers more countries. Along with Afghanistan, travel to the U.S. is banned from Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Trump said visitors who overstay visas, like the man charged in an attack that injured dozens of demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, earlier this month, are a danger to the country. The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, which isn't included in the ban. The countries chosen for the ban have deficient screening of their citizens, often refuse to take them back and have a high percentage of people who stay in the U.S. after their visas expire, Trump said. The ban makes exceptions for people from Afghanistan on Special Immigrant Visas who generally worked most closely with the U.S. government during the two-decade war there. Thousands of refugees came from Afghanistan Afghanistan was also one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Trump suspended refugee resettlement on his first day in office. It is a path Sharafoddin took with his wife and son out of Afghanistan walking on those mountain roads in the dark then through Pakistan, Iran and into Turkey. He worked in a factory for years in Turkey, listening to YouTube videos on headphones to learn English before he was resettled in Irmo, South Carolina, a suburb of Columbia. His son is now 11, and he and his wife had a daughter in the U.S. who is now 3. There is a job at a jewelry maker that allows him to afford a two-story, three-bedroom house. Food was laid out on two tables Saturday for a celebration of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. Sharafoddin's wife, Nuriya, said she is learning English and driving — two things she couldn't do in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. 'I'm very happy to be here now, because my son is very good at school and my daughter also. I think after 18 years they are going to work, and my daughter is going to be able to go to college,' she said. Family wants to help niece It is a life she wanted for her niece too. The couple show videos from their cellphones of her drawing and painting. When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, their niece could no longer study. So they started to plan to get her to the U.S. at least to further her education. Nuriya Sharafoddin doesn't know if her niece has heard the news from America yet. She hasn't had the heart to call and tell her. 'I'm not ready to call her. This is not good news. This is very sad news because she is worried and wants to come,' Nuriya Sharafoddin said. While the couple spoke, Jim Ray came by. He has helped a number of refugee families settle in Columbia and helped the Sharafoddins navigate questions in their second language. Ray said Afghans in Columbia know the return of the Taliban changed how the U.S. deals with their native country. But while the ban allows spouses, children or parents to travel to America, other family members aren't included. Many Afghans know their extended families are starving or suffering, and suddenly a path to help is closed, Ray said. 'We'll have to wait and see how the travel ban and the specifics of it actually play out,' Ray said. 'This kind of thing that they're experiencing where family cannot be reunited is actually where it hurts the most.' Taliban criticizes the travel ban The Taliban itself criticized Trump for the ban, with leader Hibatullah Akhundzada saying the U.S. was now the oppressor of the world. 'Citizens from 12 countries are barred from entering their land — and Afghans are not allowed either,' he said on a recording shared on social media. 'Why? Because they claim the Afghan government has no control over its people and that people are leaving the country. So, oppressor! Is this what you call friendship with humanity?'
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Best cheap family vacations revealed in 2025 rankings — and two of them are just a 4 hour drive from NYC
Amid the rising cost of living, cash-strapped American families are looking to save serious money on their getaways this summer. And the US News & World Report's rankings of the Best Cheap Family Vacations for 2025 prove there are still several domestic destinations where you can get bang for your buck. 'Rest assured, you won't have to break the bank to take the kids on a memorable trip this year,' the report's editors wrote.'Based on traveler feedback, editor analysis and factors like sights, value and accessibility, US News compiled this list of the best cheap family vacations.' 4 Visitors at the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center are pictured. An entrance pass is valid for seven consecutive days. AP Yellowstone National Park took out top spot, thanks to its 'reasonable' entrance fees. According to the National Parks Service website, a whole family can enter in a single vehicle for just $35. While accommodation can be pricey in peak season, the publication urged families to check out the park's 'highly-regarded campsites' to avoid 'paying a pretty penny for a room.' Coming in second place on the Best Cheap Family Vacations list was Yosemite National Park in California, thanks to the fact that its entrance passes are valid for seven days. That fact means it's easier to squeeze a whole week's worth of value out of a single payment. 4 Myrtle Beach in South Carolina is one of the beach spots that offers the best value for money for American families on vacation. 4kclips – But if families fear that both Yellowstone and Yosemite may be too busy at this time of year, the US News & World Report ranked Gatlinburg third on its list of cheap family vacations. The lesser-known mountain town in Tennessee is 'the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains,' and families can still engage in hiking, biking and sightseeing without the crowds. Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Teton National Park rounded out the top five in the rankings. For families who prefer beach getaways, North Carolina's Outer Banks (number 6 on the US News list) and South Carolina's Myrtle Beach (number 11) were among the best cheap vacation destinations for families. 4 The Adirondacks in upstate New York came in 12th spot. The scenic area is just 4 hours from New York City by car. Universal Images Group via Getty Images 4 Ocean City, Maryland was among the best places for a cheap family vacation. Chester P Wiker Jr Meanwhile, if you're looking to travel to a city to soak up some art and culture, Washington DC was named the 7th best cheap family vacation spot thanks to its free museums, iconic monuments, outdoor spaces. For New York City residents looking to escape the city this summer, two places on US News & World Report are just a 4-hour drive from the Big Apple. The Adirondacks in upstate New York came in 12th spot, while Ocean City, Maryland, ranked at number 14.
