Yusra and Sarah left Syria and traveled to Turkey (see map, p. 11), where they joined about 30 other refugees. The group hired armed smugglers to help them get to Greece.
The smugglers arranged for the refugees to cross the Aegean Sea. The boat was flimsy and built to carry 6 people, but the sisters crammed on with 18 others.
About 20 minutes into the trip, the motor stopped. Then water started filling the boat. It was getting dark, and the sea was cold and rough. Worst of all, most of the people on board didn’t know how to swim.
So Yusra and Sarah jumped into the water and pushed the boat through the choppy sea.
They swam for 3.5 hours, their muscles aching. Salt water stung their eyes, and waves battered their bodies.
But the sisters kept swimming until they reached the shore.
Yusra and Sarah had saved 18 people.