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1300 terrified passengers are being rescued by helicopter from a cruise ship off the coast of Norway.
The Viking Sky cruise ship experienced engine troubles in rough seas on Saturday off the western coast of Norway near Hustadvika. The ship sent out a distress call saying it was “suffering engine problems in bad weather”. Videos have emerged on social media showing the ship badly rocking back and forth.
Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/6EvcAjf5D2
— Alexus Sheppard 🏳️🌈 (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
“The vessel is in rough seas in the Hustadvika area on the western coast of Norway and rescuers are facing waves of about 6-8 meters (roughly 19-26 feet) high”
Borghild Eldoen, Joint Rescue Centre for Southern Norway.
1300 Passengers Being Rescued From Stranded Cruise Ship
Helicopters are rescuing the 1300 passengers and crew members one by one and could take all day Sunday. As of Saturday night, 118 passengers had been rescued and 8 were suffering from minor injuries.
Rescuers are also currently working on repairing the broken engines so that the Viking Sky can power its way to a safe harbor. The first focus of the rescue operation was to ensure the safety of the passengers on board by securing the cruise ship was so it was no longer drifting in the rough seas.
#vikingsky emergency pic.twitter.com/9bxdRpB2zV
— David Hernandez (@oxman78) March 23, 2019
Authorities has originally sent 5 helicopters and a number of vessels to assist in the evacuation of passengers. They were forced to divert some of the resources when a nearby freight vessel lost power as well. The crew of the freight vessel were in danger so it was delaying the evacuation of the cruise ship, rescue center officials said.
Norvège | L’attente à bord du #VikingSky avant les secours. Longue opération d’évacuation par hélicoptère. Vidéo de @RyanDFlynn11 https://t.co/3g42iSPt3E https://t.co/KbLXqHH0yY
— Denis Therriault (@DenisTherriault) March 24, 2019
Passengers Waiting to Be Evacuated
According to CNN passenger Alexus Sheppard from northern California said she has been waiting almost six hours to be evacuated.
“Most people are fairly calm and they are being served food and water.It's still rocking and rolling here”Alexus Sheppard
The Viking Sky is a 400 million dollar luxury cruise ship that entered service in June of 2017. It holds up to 1300 passengers and crew and is 745 feet long. The ship features a spa, pool, jacuzzi, theater, shops and a fitness center.