My children slipped through my fingers, says father of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi

Toddler Aylan Kurdi, who is of Syrian origin, washed ashore after a boat in which he as traveling had capsized off Turkey’s Bodrum.

Father Abdullah Kurdi was quoted as saying by Turkey's Dogan News Agency (DHA): "One time, the coast guards stopped us; then we were released. The second time, organizers broke their word and did not bring the boat. Thus, we provided our own boat with our own means. But after 500 meters off the beach, the boat began to take on water. Our feet were all wet. As the water rose in the boat, a panic sparked. When we tried to stand, bad went to worse. We had lifejackets, but because the people tried to stand up with panic, the boat capsized. I was holding my wife’s hands. My children, they slipped through my fingers.”

In a mishap, Aylan, his five-year-old brother Galip, and his 27-year-old mother Zahim died after the boat in which they were traveling sank off the Bodrum district on Sept 2.

The photographer who took the picture of the boy said she was 'petrified' at the moment of taking the shot.

“At that moment, where I saw the three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, I was petrified” said Nilüfer Demir was quoted as saying by
Dogan News Agency.

“Three-year-old Aylan Kurdi was lying lifeless face down in the surf, in his red t-shirt and dark blue shorts fold to his waist. The only thing I could do was to make heard his outcry. At that moment, I believed I would be able to achieve this by triggering the shutter of my camera and took his picture” said Demir.