“DON’T LET GO”: MOM REVEALS THE HEARTBREAKING MOMENT HER 12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER SLIPPED FROM HER HANDS AS FERRY OVERTURNED

“I swear, I didn’t let her go.”

Those were the heartbreaking words of Ayten Bicer as she described the terrifying final moments she spent trying to hold onto her 12-year-old daughter aboard a ferry that suddenly overturned off the coast of northern Cyprus.

The passenger vessel, operated by Filo Jet, capsized on Sunday, Aug. 30, shortly after leaving the port of Kyrenia for Tasucu, Turkey.

The ferry was carrying 267 people.

At least eight people were confirmed to have lost their lives, while 20 others were still unaccounted for as rescue teams continued searching the waters. Among those missing were Bicer’s daughter, Miray, and her 6-year-old son, Mehmet Asaf.

For Ayten and her husband, Hayri, what began as a family vacation ended in an unimaginable wait for news about two of their children.

“SHE WAS SAYING, ‘DON’T LET GO’”

Ayten recalled holding tightly onto Miray as the ferry began to overturn.

Her daughter was frightened.

“Don’t let go,” Miray told her mother.

Ayten says she never intentionally released her.

“I didn’t let go of my daughter. I swear, I didn’t let her go,” she told reporters through tears.

Then everything changed.

According to Ayten, a suitcase fell onto her daughter during the chaos, disrupting her grip.

The mother managed to catch Miray’s foot, desperately trying to keep her from disappearing.

But the deck had become extremely slippery.

Ayten said engine oil and diesel had spread across the area, making it almost impossible to maintain a grip.

“She slipped out of my hand,” she recalled.

A FAMILY TORN APART IN SECONDS

Ayten’s husband, Hayri, was also struggling to hold onto their son.

Their 6-year-old, Mehmet Asaf, was with his father when the ferry rolled over.

The couple’s other child, 10-year-old Halil, survived the disaster and was rescued.

But two of their children remained missing.

“We lost our children,” Hayri told reporters.

The family had been returning from a vacation when the disaster struck.

Now, instead of traveling home together, the parents have been waiting near Kyrenia port for any information from rescuers.

THE FERRY FLIPPED IN ROUGH SEAS

The vessel ran into trouble only minutes after leaving Kyrenia.

Witness accounts and officials’ statements indicate the ferry took on water before overturning.

Northern Cyprus authorities said the vessel may have been struck by powerful waves as rough seas followed severe storms in the region.

The ship eventually ended up on the seabed more than 500 meters below the surface, creating enormous challenges for search teams.

Survivors were rescued after clinging to the overturned vessel and being assisted by passing boats and coast guard personnel.

THE SEARCH CONTINUES

As families waited for answers, authorities continued an around-the-clock search operation.

The number of missing people was revised during the response as officials cross-checked passenger records with survivors.

Turkish authorities also prepared additional underwater resources to assist with the search around the sunken vessel.

The extreme depth of the wreck has made the operation particularly difficult.

For the Bicer family, however, the search is deeply personal.

Every passing hour brings another anxious wait.

Every phone call could bring news that changes everything.

And Ayten is left replaying those final moments — the suitcase, the slippery deck, her daughter’s hand and the desperate attempt to hold on.

QUESTIONS NOW SURROUND THE DISASTER

The tragedy has also triggered an investigation into how the ferry overturned and whether anything could have been done to prevent the disaster.

Authorities detained the vessel’s captain and crew members as part of the investigation.

Officials have promised that any negligence uncovered during the inquiry will be addressed.

Meanwhile, relatives of missing passengers have gathered near Kyrenia port, waiting for updates.

For Ayten, the investigation can wait.

Her only concern is finding her children.

She is a mother who remembers the exact moment Miray looked at her and pleaded:

“Don’t let go.”

And now, with the search continuing beneath hundreds of meters of water, Ayten is holding onto the only thing she has left — hope.