By Petr Navovy | Videos | March 25, 2019 |
By Petr Navovy | Videos | March 25, 2019 |
The Norwegian Cruise Ship ‘Viking Sky’ was caught in rough seas off the Western coast of Norway on Saturday. The gigantic ship, disabled and tossed around by violent waves only a short distance offshore, issued a mayday call as apocalyptic conditions began to push it gradually towards the jagged shore. As 8 metre (26 feet) waves and 69 kph (43 mph) winds battered the normally formidable mass of the Viking Sky, a helicopter rescue operation got underway in which passengers began to be winched up one by one. Roughly 480 of the Viking Sky’s passengers 1,300 passengers were airlifted to safety before the ship’s engines were brought back to life and it managed to find its way safely to port.
I’ve written before about how I’ve recently developed a little bit of a fear of travelling by plane.
ADD BOATS TO THE LIST:
Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/6EvcAjf5D2
— Alexus Sheppard ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
The ocean is an unforgiving, capricious tyrant. We live by its temporary graces and we perish at its whims.
Author and LGBT activist Alexus Sheppard was one of the passengers aboard the Viking Sky, and she documented the hours of Poseidon’s fury on her Twitter:
Just before the SHTF! #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/NONvQl4dBr
— Alexus Sheppard ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
Battery dying and people sleeping everywhere. Probably my last tweet of the night. #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/ouzegYmHOD
— Alexus Sheppard ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ (@alexus309) March 24, 2019
Update… the tugs are attached and we’re about to turn towards the nearest port 😃 #VikingSky #Mayday
— Alexus Sheppard ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ (@alexus309) March 24, 2019
Air evacuations have now ceased 😃😃😃 #VikingSky #Mayday
— Alexus Sheppard ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ (@alexus309) March 24, 2019
People are SO bored they’re re-packing the life jackets 🤣 pic.twitter.com/3WBqEoWX5t
— Alexus Sheppard ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ (@alexus309) March 24, 2019
Finally coming into Molde, Norway #VikingStar #WhatARelief pic.twitter.com/SiOiuz80SD
— Alexus Sheppard ðŸ³ï¸â€ðŸŒˆ (@alexus309) March 24, 2019
And, a bonus. A harrowing, harrowing bonus: