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On Saturday March 23rd, a Norwegian curies ship was having engine problems which caused the boat to stall in rough waters. The ship had to send out a Mayday call to get everyone to shore. There was  1,373 people on board and almost 500 people were airlifted off in bad weather. There was 26 foot waves and wind gusts of 43 mph. Smaller rescue boats weren’t a safe option because of the dangerously high swells. By 10 a.m. Sunday, three of the ship’s four engines were working and they were on their way to dry land.

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On Saturday March 23rd, a Norwegian curies ship was having engine problems which caused the boat to stall in rough waters. The ship had to send out a Mayday call to get everyone to shore. There was  1,373 people on board and almost 500 people were airlifted off in bad weather. There was 26 foot waves and wind gusts of 43 mph. Smaller rescue boats weren’t a safe option because of the dangerously high swells. By 10 a.m. Sunday, three of the ship’s four engines were working and they were on their way to dry land.

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Via Twitter

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Beeindruckend: Dieses Video zeigt, wie Rettungskräfte die Passagiere auf der #VikingSky per Hubschrauber retteten.

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Beeindruckend: Dieses Video zeigt, wie Rettungskräfte die Passagiere auf der #VikingSky per Hubschrauber retteten. https://t.co/bzdiurKlxh

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Beeindruckend: Dieses Video zeigt, wie Rettungskräfte die Passagiere auf der #VikingSky per Hubschrauber retteten. pic.twitter.com/bzdiurKlxh
— Tibor Martini 🇺🇦 (@tibor) March 24, 2019

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Beeindruckend: Dieses Video zeigt, wie Rettungskräfte die Passagiere auf der #VikingSky per Hubschrauber retteten. https://t.co/bzdiurKlxh

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Beeindruckend: Dieses Video zeigt, wie Rettungskräfte die Passagiere auf der #VikingSky per Hubschrauber retteten. https://t.co/bzdiurKlxh

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Beeindruckend: Dieses Video zeigt, wie Rettungskräfte die Passagiere auf der #VikingSky per Hubschrauber retteten.

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Cruise ship passengers evacuated from the Viking Sky off coast of Norway

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Cruise ship passengers evacuated from the Viking Sky off coast of Norway

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Via YouTube

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Cruise ship passengers evacuated from the Viking Sky off coast of Norway

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Passengers disembark cruise ship with tales of terrifying conditions

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Passengers disembark cruise ship with tales of terrifying conditions

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Via CNN

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norway cruise ship: tug boats try to move viking sky to shore as rescuers evacuate passengers  - cnn

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Tug boats try to pull stranded cruise ship to shore as rescuers rush to evacuate passengers

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Tug boats are trying to move a cruise ship to shore after it was stranded in rough seas off Norway with 1,300 people aboard following engine failure, rescue officials said Sunday.

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Norway cruise ship arrives in port after 20 hurt in heavy seas

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Norway cruise ship arrives in port after 20 hurt in heavy seas

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via CBC News

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The Viking Sky cruise ship arrived at port on Sunday after a harrowing series of helicopter airlifts that rescued half its passengers from the vessel, which became disabled in rough waters off the western coast of Norway.

Rescue officials said 479 passengers had been rescued from the ship by Sunday, thanks to an airlift that began the previous day after the vessel - carrying 1,373 passengers and crew- sent a mayday call and reported engine trouble.

The airlift was then halted as two tugboats guided the vessel toward the nearest port. Accompanied by the boats, the ship limped into the Norwegian port of Molde, with 436 passengers and 458 crew members remaining on board.

"We understand 20 people suffered injuries as a result of this incident, and they are all receiving care at the relevant medical centres in Norway, with some already having been discharged," Viking Ocean Cruises, the company that owns and operates the ship, said.

"We saw two people taken off by stretcher," passenger Dereck Brown told Norwegian newspaper Romsdal Budstikke.
Watch: Scenes from inside the Viking Sky cruise ship
"People were alarmed. Many were frightened, but they were calm."

Global Affairs Canada said there were 15 Canadians on board at the time of the incident and are providing consular assistance to one citizen, who has been injured.

Passenger Alexus Sheppard told The Associated Press in a message sent from the Viking Sky that people with injuries or disabilities were hoisted off the cruise ship first.

"It was frightening at first. And when the general alarm sounded it became very real," she wrote.

An American passenger, Rodney Horgen of Minnesota, was visiting Norway as a dream pilgrimage to his ancestral homeland when the trip quickly turned into a nightmare.

Wave crashes through glass doors

Horgen, 62, said he knew something was badly amiss when the guests on the tossing cruise liner were all brought to the ship's muster point. He felt sure the end had come when a huge wave crashed through glass doors and swept his wife, Judie Lemieux, about nine metres across the floor.

"When the windows and door flew open and water swept people and tables 20 to 30 feet, that was the breaker. I said to myself, 'This is it,'" Horgen recalled.

"I grabbed my wife, but I couldn't hold on. And she was thrown across the room. And then she got thrown back again by the wave coming back. Hands and faces of fellow passengers were cut and bleeding from shattered glass, he said. An experienced fisherman, Horgen said he had never experienced such rough boating conditions.

Rescue workers had to hoist passengers one-by-one to safety as heaving waves tossed the ship from side to side and high winds battered the operation.

The Viking Sky issued the mayday call as bad weather hit and it started drifting toward the rocky shore.

Coast guard official Emil Heggelund told the newspaper VG it's believed the ship was only 100 metres from striking rocks under the water and 900 metres from shore when it stopped and managed to moor.

Rescue teams with helicopters were sent to evacuate the ship under extremely difficult circumstances, including gusts up to 38 knots (70 km/h) and waves over eight metres.

As the weather eased, a decision was made to halt the rescues and head to Molde, where the vessel arrived around 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday.

The majority of the cruise ship passengers were reportedly British and American tourists.

The Viking Sky was on a 12-day trip that began March 14 in the western Norwegian city of Bergen, according to the cruisemapper.com website.

100 meters from a major disaster. <br>After a total blackout, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VikingSky?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VikingSky</a> was drifting in a storm for 30 minutes before the anchors finally set 100 meters from shore, and then the crew managed to start one of the engines. <a href="https://twitter.com/lookner?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lookner</a> <a href="https://t.co/Drn3XAAC5c">pic.twitter.com/Drn3XAAC5c</a>
&mdash; @Lompemann

The ship was visiting the Norwegian towns and cities of Narvik, Alta, Tromso, Bodo and Stavanger before its scheduled arrival Tuesday in the British port of Tilbury on the River Thames.

The Viking Sky, a vessel with gross tonnage of 47,800, was delivered in 2017 to operator Viking Ocean Cruises.

Meanwhile, a freighter has experienced an engine seizure in the same stormy Hustadsvika Bay region off western Norway where the cruise ship became disabled.

Authorities say they have had to divert two of the five helicopters rescuing the Viking Sky passengers and crew to help the Hagland Captain cargo vessel's crew of nine.

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Norway cruise ship arrives in port after 20 hurt in heavy seas | CBC News

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The Viking Sky cruise ship arrived at port on Sunday after a harrowing series of helicopter airlifts that rescued half its passengers from the vessel, which became disabled in rough waters off the western coast of Norway.

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Viking Sky cruise ship that got stranded off Norway's western coast in storm arrives to Molde

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Viking Sky cruise ship that got stranded off Norway's western coast in storm arrives to Molde

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Via RT on YouTube

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Viking Sky cruise ship that got stranded off Norway's western coast in storm arrives to Molde

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The cruise ship is now underway bound for the port of Molde, Norway, accompanied by a tug and support vessels. Prior to getting underway, 479 passengers were evacuated by helicopters, leaving 436 passengers and 458 crew members onboard. There are 20 reported injuries.

The ship lost power on Saturday and came perilously close to drifting onto the rocky shore in seas described as 8 meters (26 feet) high and winds of 38 knots. Norwegian Coast Guard officer Emil Heggelund told newspaper VG that the ship was 100 meters (328 feet) from striking an under the water reef and 900 meters (2,953 feet) from shore when was able to anchor in Hustadvika Bay. For context, as the ship is 228 m (748 ft), it was less than a half a ship-length off the rocks before it was able to anchor.

The ship's personnel were subsequently able to get three of the four main engines on-line and move the ship farther from the coastline. Passengers were evacuated by five helicopters throughout the night until towing vessels arrived. After an initial period under tow, the Viking Sky was reported to under its own power at a speed of 7 knots.

Viking Cruises chairman Torstein Hagen praised the rescue operation by Norwegian authorities and the actions of the vessel's crew. He told Norway's VG newspaper that the events surrounding the Viking Sky were "some of the worst I have been involved in, but now it looks like it's going well in the end and that we've been lucky."

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old salt blog – a virtual port of call for all those who love the sea blog

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old salt blog – a virtual port of call for all those who love the sea

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Update: Cruise Ship Viking Sky Underway After Extremely Close Call

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The cruise ship Viking Sky is now underway bound for the port of Molde, Norway, accompanied by a tug and support vessels. Prior to getting underway, 479 passengers were evacuated by helicopters, leaving 436 passengers and 458 crew members onboard. ... Continue reading →

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Passengers recount harrowing hours aboard stranded cruise ship facing 26-foot swells off Norway’s coast

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Passengers recount harrowing hours aboard stranded cruise ship facing 26-foot swells off Norway’s coast

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via the Washington Post.

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March 24 at 1:49 PM
Through the large picture windows lining the Viking Sky, passengers on Saturday afternoon watched the gray waves churn and the horizon teeter as their massive ship, carrying 1,373 people, became overwhelmed by the sea.

Outside, a storm in the rough, frigid waters off Norway's western coast had surrounded the Britain-bound cruise ship with 26-foot waves and 43-mph wind gusts.

Inside, the ship's engines had failed - setting the vessel adrift in Hustadvika Bay and toward the rocky shoreline. Plants, a piano and lounge furniture slid across the floor with each tilt of the ship. Ceiling panels fell to the ground, and icy water crashed through broken windows.

"It was frightening at first," passenger Alexus Sheppard, who posted videos online from inside the ship, told the Associated Press. "And when the general alarm sounded, it became VERY real."

The crew threw down an anchor and issued a mayday call. Then the wait began.

For 24 hours, those aboard - a mix of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian citizens - endured violent conditions as rescue teams worked to evacuate passengers one by one. Smaller rescue boats weren't a safe option because of the dangerously high swells, so Norwegian authorities airlifted individual passengers from the ship.

Reuters reported that police chief Hans Vik, who heads the Joint Rescue Coordination Center of Southern Norway, told TV2 that the ship drifted within 330 feet of shore before the crew was able to restart one engine.

"If they had run aground we would have faced a major disaster," Vik told TV2.

Passenger Rodney Horgen, a Minnesota resident, told the AP that he was a weathered fisherman and had never experienced anything like the conditions aboard the Viking Sky.

Horgen said a six-foot wall of water broke through a door and windows and swept fellow passengers, including his wife, Judie Lemieux, 30 feet across the floor.

"That was the breaker. I said to myself, 'This is it,'" Horgen told the AP. "I grabbed my wife, but I couldn't hold on. And she was thrown across the room. And then she got thrown back again by the wave coming back."

Coming to terms with the force and temperature of the water - and what it would do to a person tossed overboard - was "very, very frightening," Horgen said.

"You would not last very long," he said.

The trip was a pilgrimage of sorts for Horgen, who was looking forward to visiting the home of his ancestors.

The cruise was scheduled to pass through the Norwegian towns and cities of Narvik, Alta, Tromso, Bodo and Stavanger before docking in the British port of Tilbury on the River Thames on Tuesday.

Passenger Janet Jacob told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that she was among the first groups of passengers to be evacuated by helicopter. The strong winds were "like a tornado," she said, and she prayed "for the safety of all aboard."

"I was afraid," she said. "I've never experienced anything so scary."

John Curry, an American passenger who was eating lunch when the ship began to shake, told NRK that the incident was "chaos" and that he'd "rather not think about" the helicopter ride from ship to shore.

"It wasn't nice," he said.

Viking Cruises chairman Torstein Hagen told TV2 that the passengers had had "a bit of a shocking experience."

"Most of our passengers are senior citizens . . . imagine what it's like to hang there on that wire," Hagen said. "It must be a terrible experience, but they seem to have handled it very well."

The Norwegian Red Cross told Reuters that even those who weren't physically harmed have been "traumatized by the experience" and required care on shore.

Viking Cruises told Reuters in a statement that guests were staying in local hotels and that the company was arranging flights for them to return to their home countries.

Panicked friends and family members of passengers took to social media, seeking information about their loved ones. Some passengers, including Sheppard, documented the entire rescue mission, sharing photos, videos and observations via social media.

Sheppard shared photos of people sleeping on the floor and using life vests as pillows.

By 10 a.m. Sunday (Norwegian time), three of the ship's four engines were working and the ship, carrying 436 guests and 458 crew members, was on its way to dry land, Viking Ocean Cruises said in a statement. In all, 479 passengers had been airlifted, and 20 people suffered injuries and were being treated at hospitals in Norway.

As the ship headed toward Molde in calmer seas, Sheppard tweeted a video of dozens of passengers shuffling around those same bright-orange life vests.

"People are SO bored," she said, "they're repacking the life jackets."

On Sunday afternoon, the ship docked in Molde, Norway.

Hagen told Norway's VG newspaper that the Viking Sky rescue was among the most difficult events in which he has been involved.

"We've been lucky," he said.

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Passengers recount harrowing hours aboard stranded cruise ship facing 26-foot swells off Norway coast

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March 24 at 1:49 PM Through the large picture windows lining the Viking Sky, passengers on Saturday afternoon watched the gray waves churn and the horizon teeter as their massive ship, carrying 1,373 people, became overwhelmed by the sea.

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Via Twitter.

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Passengers waiting for evacuation in scary conditions 

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Passengers waiting for evacuation in scary conditions 

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Via Twi

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Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday

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Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday https://t.co/6EvcAjf5D2

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Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/6EvcAjf5D2
— Alexus Sheppard 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 (@alexus309) March 23, 2019

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Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday https://t.co/6EvcAjf5D2

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Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday https://t.co/6EvcAjf5D2

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Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday

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Via google images