Anna Matheakis has been featured in a "Life Story" article in the Watchtower 7/1/2005 pages 8-12. This wasn't the first time her story has been told. The Awake! 2/8/1972 page 15-16 tells this story as well.
What is curious, if not criminal, about this article is the way Matheakis survived a sinking ship 15 miles from the coast of Italy. What is your vote?
*** Watchtower 2005 7/1 pp. 11-12 Terror at Sea ***
In Dangers at Sea
When shuttling between Italy and Greece, I always traveled by ship. The voyage was usually very pleasant. But one trip, in the summer of 1971, was different. I was traveling back to Italy on the ferryboat Heleanna. Early on the morning of August 28, a fire broke out in the ship's kitchen. The fire spread and so did panic among the passengers. Women were fainting, children were crying, and men were protesting and shouting threats. People ran to the lifeboats on each side of the deck. However, there were too few life jackets, and the mechanism that lowers the lifeboats into the sea did not work properly. I had no life jacket, but the flames were rising higher, so the only sensible thing to do was to jump into the sea.
As soon as I found myself in the water, I saw floating near me a woman who was wearing a life jacket. It seemed that she could not swim, so I grabbed her by the arm to pull her away from the sinking ship. The sea was getting rougher, and the fight to stay afloat made me very tired. The situation seemed hopeless, but I kept beseeching Jehovah for courage, and this gave me strength. I could not help but remember the shipwreck experienced by the apostle Paul. -Acts, chapter 27.
Holding on to my companion, I struggled with the waves for four hours, swimming when I had the strength for it and calling on Jehovah for help. Finally, I spotted a dinghy approaching. I was rescued, but my companion had already died. When we reached the town of Bari, Italy, I was taken to a hospital, where I received first aid. I had to stay in the hospital for a few days, and many Witnesses visited me, kindly providing all that I needed. The Christian love they showed deeply impressed others who were in the hospital ward.*
* For more details, see Awake! February 8, 1972, pages 12-16.
*** Awake! 1972 2/8 pp. 15-16 Terror at Sea ***
Fight
for SurvivalNearby was a woman floating with a life jacket on. I heard her crying "Aiuto, Aiuto" (Help, Help), with a fainting voice. She was a middle-aged woman, and most probably not familiar with the sea. Since we were still near the ship, I told her to try to get away to avoid being hurt by falling burning pieces. I took her hand and swam with the other arm, attempting to make it to the open sea.
The waves were big, some five to eight feet high, and swimming was not easy. Nevertheless, I kept ahold of the lady's hand. I turned to see how she was doing, but her face seemed lifeless. When I called to her, there was no response. Her eyes were half open, and she had a quiet expression on her face. But I did not know whether she had fainted or was dead.
The sea was getting rougher, making my own situation critical, especially since I was without a life jacket. Also, my dress was weighing me down, but I could not get rid of it. Not far away I saw floating in the water a half-burned rope ladder. I tried to get to it, since it could help me in keeping afloat, but I could not reach it.
I could see that there was nothing to do but to swim toward the two ships that I had seen before going overboard. Now there was also a third ship. I held with one hand to the life jacket of the lady, while I swam facing the heavy seas. I was all by myself, really like a nutshell in the midst of the immense sea, with a woman; evidently dead, at my side.
Certainly this was not encouraging, yet I did not feel alone and lost. Since the beginning of the disaster I had directed my thoughts to our Creator, and asked humbly his help and guidance in this difficult moment of my life. I did not take for granted that he had to save me, but I knew he could do it if that was his will. I called continuously upon his divine name Jehovah, and that gave me strength. I could not help but remember what I had read in the Bible, in Acts chapter 27, about a shipwreck experienced by the apostle Paul while also going to Italy.
The hours were passing and there was no evidence of help. The waves were becoming bigger and more violent. I tried to ride the crest of each wave as it slammed into me. Holding to the life jacket of my dead companion was of some help. But the continuous fight to keep afloat made me very tired; my strength was diminishing.
A helicopter passed overhead a few times, apparently trying to locate survivors. Then there was another one. I saw it far behind me picking up persons. As the helicopter was coming in my direction, I waved my hand so as to be seen.
By this time I had almost reached one of the ships that I had been swimming toward, but the wind was pushing me away to the right. With all my attention focused on the helicopter, I had not seen that there was already a motorboat in the water approaching me. Oh, what a relief! What a joy!
Rescue
When they reached me, they threw a heavy line for me to grab and climb into the boat. But I could not make it. I was completely exhausted, and I had a cramp in my right leg. So two of the sailors leaned over the side and picked me up with their strong arms. They immediately covered me with a blanket and gave me a drink like cognac that made me vomit the seawater that I had swallowed.
I was completely without strength. But what a feeling of contentment to be seated in that boat, liberated from the arms of a furious sea after more than three hours of struggle!
I felt sorry for my dead companion. The sailors had to abandon her in the sea, since they were hurrying to pick up those that they could find alive. But, had it not been for the help that she unknowingly gave me, I do not know whether I could have survived.