Stranded text message tourist thought she would die
A woman who sparked an international rescue mission with a text message while stranded on a boat off Bali has spoken of her terror during a two-day ordeal.
Tourist Rebecca Fyfe and nine other Britons remained on board a stricken boat off the Indonesian island as rescue attempts were thwarted by rough seas.
Ms Fyfe, 19, who alerted her boyfriend in London with the mobile phone message, says there were times she thought she would die.
Speaking from Indonesia, she said: "Last night was terrible. We were all terrified. It was unbelievable what we went through. The sea was really rough last night. The waves were really bad and water was coming on board. The crew on board started praying."
Asked whether she thought she was going to die on the boat, she replied: "Definitely."
And she has paid tribute to the Indonesian crew, who managed to keep the tourists supplied with food.
Ms Fyfe says she and the other stranded tourists managed to manoeuvre the boat close to the shore and then paddle to safety.
She said: "We got to shore and the police brought us from there. Everybody's fine at the moment. We are all safe and well."
Indonesian authorities were alerted on Wednesday after Rebecca Fyfe, 19, sent a mobile phone SOS text message to her boyfriend Nick Hodgson which read: "Call Falmouth Coastguard, we need help - SOS."
Mr Hodgson, 23, contacted Thames Coastguard which informed colleagues in Falmouth.
The message was passed to coastguards in Australia and then to Indonesian authorities.
