Yahoo Autos Passengers Hang Onto Walls, Tables As Freak Storm Tips Cruise Ship 45 Degrees
A cruise ship traveling to Florida was caught in a freak storm last week that brought winds so powerful they tilted the ship over to one side. The Royal Caribbean cruise liner tilted to 45 degrees during the storm, which left passengers fearing that “they would die.”
Royal Caribbean cruise ship Explorer of the Seas was sailing from Spain to Miami, Florida, last Thursday when it encountered a freak storm just off the Spanish coast, reports the Metro. While sailing near the Spanish island of Tenerife, 80 mph crosswinds from a freak storm hit the side of the ship and pushed it over to a 45 degree angle.
The ship reportedly stayed at the unnerving angle for more than three minutes, during which time advertising boards fell loose and hit passengers. Passengers also reportedly clung to tables and walls to try and stay upright while desks came loose and slid along the floor, the Metro reports:
Dan So had just left a pub quiz and was walking through the shopping deck of the cruise ship when he heard ‘screaming and glass smashing’.
His footage of the incident shows a digital advertising board sliding across the floor and hitting another passenger, who pushed it away and grabbed a woman’s hand as they rushed off.
Dan said he ‘thought he would die’ as the ship held its dramatic tilt for ‘around three minutes’ – even sending a goodbye message to work colleagues.
One passenger was also injured during the ordeal and other cruisers were sent back to their cabins while crews carried out “accountability checks,” reports the New York Post.
The ship then made an an emergency stop off at Las Palmas, Spain, so that the injured guest could receive medical attention. Crews also took the time to clear up the chaos that remained after the tilt, which included dishware and cups that were strewn across the decks, a grand piano that had slid off the stage and glassware from the bars that had smashed on the floor.
Once the injured passenger received medical help, the vessel got back underway and will make it to Miami three days behind schedule on November 17.
Cruise ships running into extreme storms while at sea is an increasing occurrence in these worrying times. Last year, a Carnival cruise was “destroyed” after hitting severe weather over Memorial Day weekend and a passenger was killed when a rogue wave struck the side of an Antarctic cruise operated by Swiss company Viking.
