Cruise ship survivor recounts swimming to safety

>> on the ship when disaster struck. i'm glad you're able to seek speak with us about this. first of all, how are you and your wife?

>> we're doing fine right now.

>> you're doing okay?

>> excuse my voice. i just -- i had a cold and fever.

>> i'll bet you did. would that come as a result of being out in frigid waters? tell me how you got off the ship.

>> first things first, it was around 9:00 p.m ., i think, when we were watching the magic show and we heard this rattling sound. thinking it was part of the show we stayed there for a few minutes. the magician, i saw him running out the theater and everybody started panicking and running for their life jackets . so we got our life jackets on our room and the first lifeboat that we were in, they were lowering it down, it hit the railing, the side railing of the floor because it was tilted already. and then we got out of there because this lifeboat is not going anywhere. the second lifeboat that they lowered down, it was the same thing. the crew did not know what they were doing. they were trying but they really didn't know what they were doing. we didn't have any other options. we went to the other side of the ship that was already sinking because they have raft there. so we got into the raft, the raft was full of people. i think it's around 50 to 60 that was inside the raft. when we got inside the raft, the water was all the way up to our next. i said we have to get out of here again. we swam out of there to get to the nearest island.

>> so you literally had to swim to shore. how many other people were doing that?

>> there was a lot of people. hundred of people. it was really dark.

>> how cold was that water, patrick ?

>> i really didn't felt the cold until i got out of the water because it was really freezing cold. it was cold.

>> yeah, i imagine your adrenaline is pumping. were you able to be with your wife all the time? did you ever lose sight of her?

>> the only time i lost sight of her -- we were in the water. we got separated in the water. the whole time i was with her.

>> you got separated in the water. by the time you get to shore, patrick , i mean, are a lot of people just kind of climbing on to rocks and trying to get themselves out of the water? there were literally hundred of people in the water with you?

>> there was a lot of -- there was hundreds of people. the only thing that i was really mad about is because the crew should have lowered the lifeboats earlier so a lot of people would have -- didn't have to swim to the shore.

>> yeah.

>> it would have been been better if they lowered it a little bit earlier. we were waiting for an announcement from the captain. there was no announcement. when i was telling the crew to lower the lifeboat now because i saw lifeboat already on the other side of the ship that was already lowered down. it was already on the water.

>> did you --

>> that's when they started trying to lower the lifeboat.

>> patrick , did you ever hear over loud speakers or anything, were there updates or literally was it passengers that worked with the able bodied crew members to get you guys off? or was it all passengers in you had to use common sense and fend for yourself?

>> that's what we were doing. the thing is, the announcement was in a different language. we can't understand what they're saying.

>> how many -- did you see any other americans on board? i mean, can you give me an idea of how many different languages were being spoken? that's a good point you make.

>> i think there's four or five languages there. the only americans that i saw that was with us in the first lifeboat were eight of us i think. there were more than 60 of us in the lifeboat. i told them, when i saw the lifeboat when they lowered it down and it was tilted. i told my wivlet get out of here. we got on top of the lifeboat and it was the same thing on the next thing. i asked the crew members, do you know what you're doing. they answered yes. it seemed like they don't. it was the same thing that happened.

>> certainly they weren't inspiring any confidence new. patrick , i'm so glad you're able to speak with us. it's one hell of a way to start a marriage. it's going to go up from here. i'm glad you and your wife are safe and can take some time to try to get over this and move forward. patrick , thank you so much for your time.

>> thank you.