When Things go Wrong at Sea!

According to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention, which was enacted after the Titanic sinking, all cruise ships must hold lifeboat drills, also called passenger musters or muster drills.

Typically, a lifeboat drill includes a demonstration of how to properly put on and secure a life jacket, an explanation of what to do in case of an emergency, a demonstration of the emergency alarm (seven short tones and one long), an overview of evacuation and lifeboat embarkation procedures and a discussion of muster stations and how to find them. A muster station is a place where designated groups of passengers meet in case of evacuation by lifeboat becomes necessary.

Muster Drill

These are all done in the calm waters of port and I have always wondered how this orderly drill would be put in practice in a storm and rough seas.

When Viking Cruises announced an ocean cruise itinerary that would allow travellers the “rare opportunity to explore the far north in Norway’s winter,” it boasted that it would be a holiday that passengers will never forget – but for all the wrong reasons.

The crisis began on Saturday morning during a storm when the ship’s engines lost power. As the ship drifted without power, the crew threw out anchors to keep it in place, fearing it would be smashed on treacherous offshore rocks.

In clips posted online, debris fell from the ceiling of the Viking Sky while furniture including chairs slide across the floor as passengers sit waiting to be rescued.

Two hundred Britons were among 1,300 people on board the vessel which sent a mayday call after losing engine power, prompting a dramatic rescue by helicopter in high winds.

Some 479 passengers were airlifted to shore. Viking Cruises said 20 people suffered injuries and were receiving treatment in Norway.

They eventually managed to get 3 of the 4 engines working and with the help of tugboats, the Viking Sky arrived in the port of Molde, Norway on Sunday morning.

Apparently, lifeboats were of no use due to the lack of power which is needed to winch them off the ship and the sea was too rough anyway. So this begs the question – what would have happened had this event occurred miles away from land?