Ali Sabancı recounts his boat accident for the first time: 'I learned not to blow things out of proportion'

The 11th ordinary meeting of the Antalya Industrialists and Business People Association (ANSİAD) for 2024 was held in Antalya.

Esas Holding Chairman of the Board Ali Sabancı attended the meeting as a guest speaker.

Ali Sabancı, who had a major accident by crashing his boat into rocks on the island of Leros in Greece and spent months receiving treatment in the hospital, spoke about the accident for the first time.

Ali Sabancı, who narrowly escaped death in the accident, described the event with these words:

'I LEARNED NOT TO BLOW THINGS OUT OF PROPORTION WITH EACH PASSING DAY'

"Let me put it this way, I had a motorboat accident. It was a sea motor, and I was driving. My wife's face was shattered. I think I had 10 or 11 surgeries. Our children were on the boat, they were 20 or 22 at the time, they fell into the water. We hit the rock, they fell into the water but they didn't hit the rock. This is God's work, there were 2 crews working on the large boat... One of them dislocated their shoulder. 3 weeks ago, in a similar accident, those on the boat, may God have mercy on them, hit a rock and died. I don't even remember getting on the boat.

When I woke up in the hospital 9 days later, I asked the chief physician, 'Is everyone alive?' I stayed in the hospital for about 3-4 months. With each passing day, I learned, and I am still learning, not to blow things out of proportion. I will continue to learn until I die. I hope we will all continue to develop until we die."

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Ali Sabancı, his wife Vuslat Doğan Sabancı, and their children were traveling by zodiac boat from their anchored boat off the coast of Leros Island, 22 miles from Bodrum, Muğla, to a restaurant on the shore for dinner when they crashed into rocks. The injured couple was taken to Leros Hospital.

Following the accident, Ali Sabancı, who was taken to Bodrum by a floating ambulance and underwent surgery to have his spleen removed, was transferred to Istanbul by air ambulance and taken for treatment at the Vehbi Koç Foundation American Hospital.

Vuslat Doğan Sabancı was also brought to the American Hospital in Istanbul following Ali Sabancı.

News Source: 12punto