Oakdale woman recounts surviving deadly boat accident in Bahamas
OAKDALE — A woman from Oakdale was among the survivors of a deadly boat accident in the Bahamas on Tuesday.
It happened off the coast of Nassau when a boat carrying dozens of tourists hit a wave and began taking in water.
The boat capsized minutes later, forcing tourists to jump into the open ocean, miles from shore.
"It was definitely, by far, the most terrifying thing I've ever been through in my life," Alyssa Cogburn said.
Cogburn was on vacation with several of her friends.
On their visit, they planned a boat ride to Blue Lagoon Island. Cogburn said she worried about the choppy surf when they boarded but never thought it could capsize.
"All of a sudden, we were going. Our boat just hits a big wave, and the front end of the boat goes down pretty hard," she said.
Moments later, the boat began taking on water, tipping it to its side.
Cogburn and her friends were among those clinging to the side of the boat, unsure of what would happen next.
"All of a sudden, we just hear somebody from the top deck yelling to pass out the life jackets. I never feared for my life until that moment. I started thinking, 'What was the last conversation I had with my mom?' " she said.
Unsure how long they would be stranded in the ocean, passengers were forced to jump into open water. Luckily, several boats happened to be nearby and helped rescue all the passengers.
But they couldn't save them all. A 70-year-old woman from Colorado died during the incident.
While Cogburn was reunited with her family, she reflected on those who won't see theirs again.
"We're just thinking about them and hope they find peace right now," she said.