Filipino sailor survivor in Red Sea attack: "I thought I was going to die"

• Filipino seafarer named Cocoy and his fellow crew members were attacked by Houthi rebels while on board the Magic Seas cargo ship in the Red Sea
• The crew took shelter in the muster station for nearly five hours while the ship’s armed security fought back
• After the hull was breached by missiles and flooding began, the crew abandoned the ship and spent three hours at sea before rescue
• Most of the crew were Filipinos, and the incident highlighted the risks Filipino seafarers face while working abroad

Filipino seafarer named Cocoy was resting in his cabin when the captain announced, “We are under attack.”

He realized the knocking sound was gunfire as Huthi rebels surrounded their ship, the Greek-owned Magic Seas, on July 6.

The crew rushed to the “muster station” while the ship’s security team fought back.

Cocoy said, “There was panic, but we knew we had to move.”

Seventeen of the 22 crew members were Filipinos.

For five hours, they stayed in the muster station as three armed Sri Lankan guards defended them from rebel boats.

“I lost count of how many hits we took,” Cocoy shared. When a missile caused flooding, they abandoned ship and spent three hours adrift before rescue.

Cocoy feared for his family, saying, “I thought I was going to die.”

The Magic Seas eventually sank. This attack marked a return of Huthi assaults in the Red Sea after a brief period of calm.

Read PhilSTAR Life's article here to know more about this story.

News, photos, or videos that arouse the interest of netizens would often go viral on social media, due to the attention netizens give them. These viral posts appeal to the emotions of netizens, and in rare cases, this could also happen to ordinary people, making them very relatable.

In a previous report by KAMI, a family of three was mercilessly shot and killed inside their store in Barangay Mallorca, San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija. Caught by CCTV, three men entered their store, closed the roll-up door, and shot the entire family to death. Before fleeing, one of the suspects even grabbed a bag and a mobile phone from the victim. In a report by Gary De Leon of TV 5's 'Frontline Pilipinas,' the family started getting threats after lending P1-M to one of the residents of their barangay; allegedly using the money for business.

In another viral local report, a 51-year-old public school teacher in Las Piñas City was stabbed multiple times by her own husband. According to the report of EJ Gomez in 'Unang Balita,' the 38-year-old suspect committed the crime inside the school's faculty room. Police authorities said the school has a security guard, but, being a familiar face in the school, the suspect managed to easily get in and out of the school. The suspect said he was there to talk to his wife and settle their misunderstanding, but unfortunately, it led to a big arguement.

Source: KAMI.com.gh