It was supposed to be a simple holiday. Alex and Mia, two university friends, had booked a sailing trip around the coast of Croatia. The plan was clear: sun, sea, and plenty of relaxation. And that’s exactly what it was, at least to start with. But on the third day, everything changed.
The morning had started peacefully. The sea was calm, and the boat moved gently through the blue water. Captain Leo, an experienced sailor, chatted with them while pointing out small islands and hidden beaches. Mia used the opportunity to take photos with her new camera while Alex relaxed in his seat, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his skin. Around noon, however, dark clouds suddenly appeared on the horizon.
“It’s just a passing storm,” Leo said. “Nothing to worry about.”
But within an hour, the wind picked up, and the waves grew larger. Rain fell hard, and the boat rocked from side to side. Leo tried to steer toward a nearby island, but visibility was poor. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. The boat had hit a rock under the water.
“We’re taking on water!” Leo shouted.
Alex grabbed the emergency radio to call for help, while Mia helped Leo check the damage. The engine was dead, and the lower deck was flooding. The storm was getting worse. They had minutes to get off the boat.
They jumped into the lifeboat as lightning split the sky. Waves lifted and dropped them back heavily onto the water. Then—a giant wave hit them sideways, throwing Mia into the sea.
“MIA!” Alex screamed.
She surfaced a few seconds later, coughing, but another wave was coming. Without thinking, Alex dived in. Leo shouted behind them, but it was too late. Alex was already in the water, holding on to Mia.
Together, the pair swam towards the island with all their strength. They reached the rocky shore, bruised and breathless, just as the wrecked lifeboat washed up beside them. Their hands were bleeding from the sharp rocks, but they were alive.
The beach was narrow, with steep cliffs behind it. There was no way up.
“We have to signal somehow,” Mia gasped.
Alex grabbed a piece of the broken lifeboat and set it on fire with Leo’s lighter. Black smoke rose quickly into the air.
For hours, they waited, hiding from the cold behind a rock wall. Then, just before sunset, the sound of a helicopter cut through the wind. A search light lit up the beach—and stopped on them.
They jumped up, waving their arms in the air.
As the rescue team lowered a rope, Alex looked back at the dark sea and the broken lifeboat. What began as a peaceful trip had turned into a frightening battle for survival.
📒 Key vocabulary
- horizon – the line where the earth or sea seems to meet the sky
- visibility – how far you can see, especially in bad weather
- lifeboat – a small boat used in emergencies
- surface (v) – to come up to the surface of the water
- bruised – having dark marks on the skin from being hit
- signal (v) – to send a message using actions or signs
- searchlight – a strong light used to find things in the dark
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