Parents’ Heartbreaking Final Moments as Their 12-Year-Old Daughter and 6-Year-Old Son Slipped From Their Hands During the Cyprus Ferry Disaster
A family holiday ended in unimaginable tragedy after a passenger ferry capsized off northern Cyprus, leaving a mother and father desperately fighting to hold on to their two young children as the vessel overturned in rough seas.
Ayten and Hayri Bicer were travelling with their three children when the ferry encountered serious trouble shortly after leaving Kyrenia, also known as Girne, on Sunday. Their 12-year-old daughter and six-year-old son were among those still missing after the disaster, while their 10-year-old son, Halil, survived alongside his parents.
The family’s account has become one of the most heartbreaking stories to emerge from the tragedy.
Ayten described desperately trying to keep hold of her daughter as panic spread across the vessel. According to her account, a suitcase struck the girl during the chaos, causing the mother to lose her grip. She managed to catch her daughter’s foot, but the surface was covered with oil and diesel, making it almost impossible to maintain a hold.
At almost the same time, Hayri was struggling to keep hold of their six-year-old son.
The ferry had reportedly taken on water before suddenly capsizing. Survivors described a violent sequence of events as the vessel overturned, leaving passengers scrambling for safety. Some managed to climb onto the overturned hull, where they waited to be rescued by passing boats and coastguard personnel.
The vessel was travelling from Kyrenia toward the Turkish port of Taşucu in Mersin province when disaster struck. Authorities said it was carrying hundreds of passengers and crew members. Although initial figures varied as officials reconciled passenger records with survivors, the latest reports said eight people had died and the number of missing had risen to 20.
The ferry eventually sank in waters more than 500 metres deep, dramatically complicating the search operation. Authorities have been working to determine exactly what caused the vessel to capsize, while efforts have also focused on recovering its black-box data recorder. Divers from Turkey were assisting with the operation.
The investigation has also intensified. Nine people connected with the vessel’s operation were detained as authorities began examining the circumstances surrounding the disaster. Officials said the ferry had a valid seaworthiness certificate, while the vessel’s captain and crew were being investigated.
For families gathered at Kyrenia port, however, the investigation offers little comfort while loved ones remain unaccounted for.
Ayten and Hayri are now facing the devastating uncertainty of waiting for news about two children they had tried desperately to save. Their surviving son is alive, but the family has been left confronting the possibility that two of their children may never return.
The tragedy has also raised wider questions about the ferry’s condition, the circumstances surrounding the sudden capsizing and whether passengers had adequate protection during the emergency. Those questions are expected to form a central part of the investigation as rescue teams continue searching the waters.
For the Bicer family, the disaster is no longer simply a maritime accident. It is the agonising story of two parents who reached for their children in the middle of a terrifying few moments—and watched them disappear into the sea.
