The Liberal Gun Club Forum

A cruise ship with 1,300 passengers on board has sent out a mayday call after suffering engine failure in heavy winds near Norway. The ship, named Viking Sky, was drifting towards land when it broadcast the distress signal. Helicopters have been evacuating people from the vessel amid high waves and strong winds. It was later able to restart one engine, was anchored just over a mile from land and is no longer adrift. A cargo ship which came to help rescue Viking Sky's passengers has also issued a mayday call due to engine failure, it has been reported.

Up to 90 passengers have been hoisted up one by one from the deck of the vessel and airlifted to a village located just north of the town of Molde on Norway's west coast. One woman messaged family to let them know she had to be stretchered off the ship after heavy waves battered the ship and left her 'submerged under water'. The passenger said: 'A wave smashed a door open right behind us and we were submerged under water. 'We thought that was it and my knee has been damaged. 'I've been stretchered off which was just as scary.'

Tom Decker, who has been in contact with his wife, tweeted this morning that rescue efforts had been halted 'because of high winds and 30 foot high waves'. A couple, believed to have been on Viking Sky, were pictured earlier 'happy and safe in a hotel room' after they were rescued. Rough seas have forced two rescue ships to turn back as even tugboats are not sure they will be able to reach the stricken cruise liner. A cargo ship, the Hagland Captain, suffered an engine failure when it headed out to rescue the ship and has sent out a mayday call. Helicopters will also be attempting to rescue its nine crew members, it has been reported.

The stretch, named Hustadvika, is known as one of the most dangerous sections of the Norwegian coast with many shipwrecks in the region. A spokesperson said: 'If we need to evacuate everyone, it will take a long time.'

Several boats and four helicopters took part in the rescue and facilities to receive passengers have been set up on land. But only 10 to 15 people can be taken per flight on emergency helicopters sent to airlift passengers to safety. It is thought there are currently still more than 885 passengers on board.

The ship sailed into the worst possible area of a 'bomb cyclone' with hurricane force winds and maximum wave heights of 60 to 80ft.

atxgunguy wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:42 pm My friends are on that boat. The Norwiegians seem to have their acts together. Everyone is sheltering below decks waiting for their turn on the helicopter.

atxgunguy wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:42 pm My friends are on that boat. The Norwiegians seem to have their acts together. Everyone is sheltering below decks waiting for their turn on the helicopter.

YankeeTarheel wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 9:13 pm

atxgunguy wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:42 pm My friends are on that boat. The Norwiegians seem to have their acts together. Everyone is sheltering below decks waiting for their turn on the helicopter.

Oh, wow! I hope it all goes well for them and everyone gets off safely. We've been on ships that had bad shit happen, luckily when we weren't on them.
The Monarch of the Seas tore her bottom open on a reef in St. Maarten harbor.
The QE2 grounded on a sand bar off Newfoundland...not to far from where the Titanic sank.
The Norway had a boiler explosion in port that killed a half-dozen crew...she never sailed again. Was built originally as The France.
The Windsong had an engine fire and had to be scuttled ahead of a typhoon. Luckily, no one was hurt.
The Norwegian Dawn, at least twice, maybe 3 times had major damage in the Atlantic corridor bet NYC and Miami.

highdesert wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 9:33 pm

YankeeTarheel wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 9:13 pm

atxgunguy wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:42 pm My friends are on that boat. The Norwiegians seem to have their acts together. Everyone is sheltering below decks waiting for their turn on the helicopter.

Oh, wow! I hope it all goes well for them and everyone gets off safely. We've been on ships that had bad shit happen, luckily when we weren't on them.
The Monarch of the Seas tore her bottom open on a reef in St. Maarten harbor.
The QE2 grounded on a sand bar off Newfoundland...not to far from where the Titanic sank.
The Norway had a boiler explosion in port that killed a half-dozen crew...she never sailed again. Was built originally as The France.
The Windsong had an engine fire and had to be scuttled ahead of a typhoon. Luckily, no one was hurt.
The Norwegian Dawn, at least twice, maybe 3 times had major damage in the Atlantic corridor bet NYC and Miami.

And of course the Costa Concordia that ran aground near Genoa in 2012. And cruise ships get bigger and bigger. Apparently this ship the Viking Sky was caught in the treacherous shipping lane between Kristiansund and Molde that has sunk a few ships. Molde is where the ship is limping to and where the rescue operation is headquartered. Torstein Hagen who owns Viking flew to Molde. If the damage to the ship is minor and the hull is intact they'll probably keep it in operation, just built in 2017. There are now five helicopters shuttling passengers off the ship.

atxgunguy wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:42 pm My friends are on that boat. The Norwiegians seem to have their acts together. Everyone is sheltering below decks waiting for their turn on the helicopter.

atxgunguy wrote: Sat Mar 23, 2019 5:42 pm My friends are on that boat. The Norwiegians seem to have their acts together. Everyone is sheltering below decks waiting for their turn on the helicopter.

The cause of the ship’s engine failure was unknown, Torstein Hagen, the Norwegian founder and chairman of Viking Cruises, which has its headquarters in Switzerland, told local news outlets on Sunday.

He also said that the passengers would be compensated. “They will get their money back,” he said, adding, “They will also have a letter from me, and be invited back again.”

Mr. Hagen told the newspaper VG Sunday: “What happened today is among the worst I ever experienced. But as it seems to all end well, I’ve got to say we have been lucky. We keep doing the best we can.”