and there's more danger in store. >> good thing the water's not rough today. >> within minutes of abandoning ship, the stern starts to shift and rears vertically up and heads towards them. >> look out, you guys. it's coming this way. >> the bow was sticking straight up and i said, hey, watch out. you know, the boat is going to come this way. i thought it was going to swamp us. >> irene is sinking. >> push the water in, don't do that. we're taking on water, guys. >> there was a couple of the passengers actually one in particular that she was really getting uneasy. so, we tried, we tried to calm her down. >> water coming in. guys. we're taking on water. >> just relax. the pontoons are not going to sink. they'll keep us afloat. >> then, suddenly, a heroic move that no one expects. >> grab that igloo. >> captain john ferrule realizes if he leaves the crowded raft everyone else on board will have a better chance of surviving. to keep as dry as possible, he uses a floating boat bumper to help swim to what remains of the bow of his boat. >> i think all of us were in disbelief at that point.