Yahoo News Norway cruise ship passengers airlifted to safety on helicopters in ‘frightening’ ordeal
The first passengers evacuated from a cruise ship off the coast of Norway have spoken about the “frightening” moment they were airlifted onto five helicopters after the vessel’s engines failed in stormy weather.
The Viking Sky, which had more than 1,300 people board – including 200 British tourists – was forced to send out a mayday signal on Saturday as it floundered in the Norwegian Sea.
Video footage showed the ship rocking dramatically, with debris falling from the ceiling and chairs crashing across the floor, as passengers waited to be airlifted to safety.
Rescue services airlifted 479 people, hoisting them one-by-one onto helicopters, before the weather subsided on Sunday and allowed tug boats to tow the ship and its remaining passengers to Molde port.
Derek and Esther Browne, from Hampshire, said the “whole boat was swaying” before they were airlifted to safety.
“We had a few people on stretchers, several with cuts, two with broken limbs, but fortunately we were alright. We were airlifted onto the helicopter which was quite a frightening experience,” Mr Browne told the BBC.
He added: “I’d never been in a helicopter before, there were a lot of high winds, hovering overhead and the winchman came down and we were then collected up and so I shut my eyes as we arrived into the helicopter and there were 15 of us for about a 20-minute ride.”
Some 20 injured passengers had been taken to hospital, Viking Cruises said, while others had only minor injuries.
Police in Moere og Romsdal said the ship’s crew had managed to anchor in Hustadvika Bay, amid fears the vessel would run aground.
The boat was then towed to Molde on Norway’s west coast with 436 passengers and 458 crew members still on board.
Norwegian media said the majority of the cruise ship passengers were British and American tourists. The ship had been due to arrive in the Essex port of Tilbury in England on Tuesday.
“I was afraid. I’ve never experienced anything so scary,” Janet Jacob told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. She said her helicopter ride to safety came amid strong winds “like a tornado”, causing her to pray “for the safety of all aboard”.
The Norwegian Red Cross said: “Many have also been traumatised by the experience and need care when they arrive on shore.”
US passenger John Curry said he had been having lunch as the ship started to shake. “It was just chaos. The helicopter ride from the ship to shore I would rather not think about. It wasn’t nice.”
A spokesperson for Viking Cruises said: “A small number of non-life threatening injuries have been reported. Guests are being accommodated in local hotels when they arrive back on shore, and Viking will arrange for return flights for all guests.”
The operator's chairman, Torstein Hagen, told Norway's VG newspaper the events 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".
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We are in touch with Norwegian authorities and stand ready to help any British people who require our assistance.”
The operator advised anyone with concerns about guests onboard to check updates on the Viking Cruises website.
Additional reporting by agencies
