The promise of a new life in Europe for more than a hundred Arabs, Kurds and Africans ended in a terrifying drama at sea as their dilapidated fishing boat drifted for 12 days, and the passengers spent more than a week without food and drinking sea water. Two Africans died and their bodies were thrown over board.
The others, including 10 children and five women - one of them heavily pregnant - huddled under blankets in a desperate attempt to avoid the burning sun. All of them were convinced death was inevitable, but yesterday they were safely ashore in Cyprus after a passing cargo ship towed them to safety. The Syrian captain was arrested and charged with causing death by negligence.
The drama had begun in Lebanon's northern port of Tripoli where the passengers were told that for at least $500 each they would be taken to Italy, and the journey would take two days.
Mr Suhail Anwar Saleb (25), an Iraqi Kurd, said: "We didn't know it was a thousand miles away. We just believed what these people told us. But after three days, the engines broke down and then we ran out of food and water.
"It was horrible. There was barely room to lie down on the deck and the only shelter from the sun was in the hold where normally the fish were stored, but that was like an oven. When the boat broke down, the waves were coming over us and we were scared of sinking.
"We saw several ships but had no way to attract their attention. We prayed and prayed and I know we couldn't have lasted very much longer. Then this Ukrainian ship spotted us and we knew our prayers had been answered."
His friend, Mr Mohammed Ali Idriss (30), had paid $5,000 to a businessman in northern Iraq to arrange the trip for his wife, Jihan, and their three children aged between 10 months and five years.
Fifteen of the passengers, including the pregnant woman, are being detained in hospital suffering from dehydration and sun stroke. The other passengers are in a Limassol hotel under police guard. The Cypriot authorities believe they were never headed for Italy, but were to be put ashore on Cyprus and told they had reached the Italian coast.