A NORTH-EAST survivor of the Greek ferry disaster in which more than 70 people were killed has returned home.

Suzy McCormack last night recalled her horror as she found herself onboard a sinking ship.

The 22-year-old and her American boyfriend, Justin Wax, 27, were on the first leg of an island-hopping holiday when disaster struck on the Express Samina.

The vessel hit a rock in what local fishermen call the "gates of hell", and sank within 18 minutes.

Back at her Teesside home, Suzy told how panic ensued and the crew abandoned ship, leaving passengers to fend for themselves.

The lights of the island Paros were visible as the overcrowded boat, with up to 700 passengers, approached the harbour.

Suzy said: "There was an almighty crash at the side - a long scrape. Then, the engines and everything went dead, the lights went down and it was pitch black."

A few brief seconds of stunned quiet followed before panic - and a desperate scramble for lifejackets - broke out.

"There was no control, no order, it was just panic," said Suzy, from Hartburn, Stockton.

Justin, from Philadelphia, said that, as the ship went down, lifeboats were thrown overboard, but many were not tethered to the ship and floated off empty. One tethered lifeboat was floating in the water below them.

"Justin said 'This is our chance', so we jumped from the top of the railing, maybe 50ft," said Suzy.

She said the decision to jump was the most terrifying part of the ordeal.

"Even in the lifeboat we were panicking because the ship was under the water and we were still tied to it. I just remember thinking 'somebody untie it', and, thankfully, they did," she said.

Suzy believes she may not have been so lucky if Justin had not been by her side, leading the way.

"I would not have made those decisions, no way. I would not have known what to do. I would have just followed the other people," she said