Passengers aboard Lamma IV, a Hongkong Electric Company launch that sank on October 1, described how the Hong Kong and Kowloon ferry, Sea Smooth, maintained speed and no sound of the horn was heard seconds before a deadly crash that took 39 lives.

Testifying before a commission of inquiry on Monday, passengers described how the crew of Lamma IV tried to take evasive action to avoid the collision that sent Lamma IV to the bottom. The testimony came on the fourth day of hearings in what is expected to be a six-month inquiry.

Lee Ming-sun, a 49-year-old decorator, was seated next to his two-and-half-year-old son on the first row on the left (portside) of Lamma IV's upper deck. Lee's wife and his nine-year-old daughter were standing on the weather deck at the stern. The moment of impact sent Lee to the floor, as he hung on to his son. Seconds later, Lee's wife and daughter came into the cabin of the upper deck, saying they had been warned that the vessel might sink.

"I managed to get three life jackets under the seats we were seated on. However, at that time, the nose of the ferry tilted to almost 70 degrees from the horizon. I was unable to put the jacket on my son completely as the jacket was too big for him," said Lee.

Lee's wife had tied a life jacket loosely around her daughter's neck, seconds before the family was tossed to the other side of the cabin as the ferry began to tilt dangerously. By then, family members were already up to their necks in sea water.

Luckily, a crew member smashed a window in their vicinity. Lee managed to get his son and daughter to a police launch, after crawling from the open window. Then, he retrieved the two life jackets on his son and daughter and swam back to find his wife.

At that time, Lee said he could see only one-third of the boat still floating above the surface. Like the other survivors who testified on the same day, Lee said he didn't hear any warning horn or whistle before the collision.

The captain of Lamma IV apologized after the collision and called the police, reporting the incident, recalled Lo Lai-ngan, another survivor, who saw the captain sliding from the wheel house and falling on the staircase connecting the upper deck and the main deck.

Another passenger, Lui Chi-kin, marketing manager of Hongkong Electric who survived along with his wife and two daughters, recalled that seats detached from the floor soon after the ferry started to tilt. Sitting on the second row near the wheel house on the starboard (right) of the upper deck, Lui said he held on to a seat, one of only two rows left intact, while grabbing hold of his two daughters. Though the chair eventually dislodged from the ferry 15 minutes later, Lui and his family escaped through a window broken by a rescuer.

The hearing will continue on Tuesday. All passengers from the three vessels, including a passing ship, Lamma II, are expected to complete their testimony before this Friday. The collision occurred as Sea Smooth, operated by the HK and Kowloon Ferry company, was on a regular run to Lamma Island and Lamma IV was sailing to Victoria Harbour to watch the National Day fireworks display.

stushadow@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 12/18/2012 page1)