This past Tuesday evening, A massive rogue wave crashing across the side of the boat turned what should have been a happy vacation into a horrifying nightmare for its passengers as they made their way to Ushuaia, Argentina.
As explained by the cruise line, the gigantic rogue wave slammed in the Polaris cruise ship from Viking with more than enough power to damage a large number of windows across the ship. Additionally, the impact and the shrapnel-like broken glass resulted in the death of at least one passenger and the injury of a sizable number of others.
Viking was able to identify the deceased passenger as an American woman, age 62 years old, who was killed when she was sprayed with shards of glass from the shattered windows. Her name has not yet been released to the public.
“It is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident. We have notified the guest’s family and shared our deepest sympathies. We will continue to offer our full support to the family in the hours and days ahead. … Our focus remains on the safety and well-being of our guests and crew, and we are working directly with them to arrange return travel. A two-week journey of stunning views — cut short,” released the cruise line a statement.
The other four passengers who had reportedly received a number of non-life-threatening injuries were able to be treated while still on board the cruise ship. The ship, which was slated to make the trip out to Antarctica, was rightfully cut short in the wake of the incident, and arrangements were set up to make sure the various travelers were able to get back home safely.
As of writing, the damaged ship still sits at the docks in Ushuaia, Argentina, and an investigative case has been officially opened to find out exactly what took place.
In an interview made with WRAL News, one passenger from Durham, North Carolina spoke via phone while still on board the ship and openly explained that prior to the rogue wave slamming across the side of the boat, the cruise had been an amazing vacation.
“We wondered if we hit an iceberg. And there are no icebergs out here, but that’s how it felt,” stated Suzie Gooding, stating, “Everything was fine until the rogue wave hit, and it was just sudden. Shocking. We didn’t know if we should get our gear ready for abandoning ship.
