Dad's Relief As Daughter Survives Ferry Fall

8 September 2011, 12:51 | Updated: 8 September 2011, 12:59

A father from Bishop's Stortford has spoken of his relief after his daughter was rescued after plunging from a ferry into the North Sea.

Jeni Anderson, from Hertfordshire, had been on her way to Amsterdam with three friends to celebrate graduating from university.

She had been on the deck of the ferry at around 8:30pm on Monday (September 5th) when she fell.

The 23-year-old spent half an hour fighting for her life in rough seas 20 miles off the the coast of Scarborough.

She said: "I just remember thinking that was going to be it. I remember thinking what a terrible way to go and I was going to try my best for that not to be how it ended.

"I remember swimming and screaming and trying to make sure that if anybody was looking they would see me."

She was rescued by a lifeboat and then winched from the ferry on board an RAF helicopter before being taken to Scarborough Hospital where she has since been released.

Her father, 61-year-old Edwin Cummings, spoke of his relief at her rescue.

He said: "I am amazed as Jeni is that she is alive."