District mayor rescues diver from drowning in Turkey’s Kocaeli

KOCAELİ

A district mayor in the northwestern province of Kocaeli on March 1 rescued a diver from drowning during a ceremony commemorating victims of one of the country’s deadliest civil marine accidents.

Şenay Ertorun, a diver from the Karamürsel Underwater Sports Association (KARSAD), came to surface of the sea after diving to pull out a banner that read “We remember the March 1 Üsküdar Disaster” prepared for the 59th anniversary of the SS Üsküdar Ferry disaster, which claimed the lives of hundreds.

Upon hearing Ertorun’s cries for help around 10 meters off the pier, Karamürsel Mayor İsmail Yıldırım, who is also a certified diver, immediately took off his coat and jumped into the water to rescue the diver from drowning.

The mayor successfully accompanied the diver to the shore. They have both been reported to be in good condition.

Meanwhile, the audience at the commemoration ceremony congratulated Yıldırım following the incident and applauded his courage.

The passenger ferry SS Üsküdar sank on March 1, 1958 due to stormy weather in the Gulf of İzmit, killing around 400 people, most of whom were students from the İzmit High School and İzmit Arts School.