The Viking Polaris cruise ship sits anchored off the coast of Argentina after a wave broke by home windows, killing an American lady on Dec. 1, 2022.
AFP by way of Getty Pictures
An American lady died and 4 different passengers had been injured when a “rogue wave” hit a Viking cruise ship crusing close to the southernmost tip of South America on an Antarctic cruise, the corporate mentioned Thursday.
The unidentified 62-year-old lady was hit by damaged glass when the wave broke cabin home windows on the Viking Polaris ship late Tuesday throughout a storm, Argentine authorities mentioned. The ship suffered restricted harm and arrived in Ushuaia, 1,926 miles south of Buenos Aires, the following day.
“It's with nice unhappiness that we confirmed a visitor handed away following the incident,” Viking mentioned in an announcement. “We've got notified the visitor’s household and shared our deepest sympathies.”
The 4 passengers injured had been handled onboard the ship by a physician and medical workers for non-life-threatening accidents, the corporate mentioned.
The ship itself sustained “restricted harm,” Viking mentioned.
“We're investigating the information surrounding this incident and can provide our help to the related authorities,” the corporate mentioned. “Our focus stays on the protection and wellbeing of our visitors and crew, and we're working instantly with them to rearrange return journey.”
Rogue waves, also called “excessive storm waves” by scientists, are larger than twice the dimensions of surrounding waves and sometimes come unexpectedly from instructions aside from prevailing wind and waves, in response to the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Suzie Gooding, who was on the ship when the incident occurred, advised WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina, that it felt just like the ship had struck an iceberg.
“Every thing was high-quality till the rogue wave hit, and it was simply sudden. Stunning,” she mentioned. “We didn’t know if we should always get our gear prepared for abandoning ship.”
Viking mentioned it has canceled the ship’s subsequent scheduled departure, the Antarctic Explorer, slated to sail from Dec. 5-17. The Viking Polaris, a vessel that has luxurious amenities and was inbuilt 2022, has a capability for 378 passengers and 256 crew members.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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