A Giant Wave Kills 1 And Injures 4 On The New Antarctic Cruise Ship

(CTN NEWS) – DURHAM, N.C. — One person lost their life, and four others were hurt when a huge wave slammed into an Antarctic cruise ship in the middle of a storm as it cruised off the southernmost point of South America, the firm reported today.

As the Viking Polaris cruise ship headed toward Ushuaia, Argentina, the primary departure port for expeditions to Antarctica, “a rogue wave incident” occurred, according to a Viking cruise spokeswoman.

The statement stated, “We are deeply saddened to announce that one of our guests has died due to the incident.

We’ve been informed of the visitor’s relatives and sent our sincere condolences to them.”

Four other visitors “sustained non-life-threatening injuries” and received onboard medical attention.

According to AFP journalists, the ship was tied off Ushuaia, 3,200 kilometers from the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, with moderate damage and numerous side windows broken.

Viking said it was “looking into the circumstances surrounding this incidence.”

'Rogue wave' kills person on Antarctic cruise.

One person died and four were injured when a massive wave smashed into an Antarctic cruise ship during a storm as it sailed off the southernmost tip of South Americahttps://t.co/sRyn0J2X68 pic.twitter.com/PCfXiRoMLa

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 2, 2022

Rogue waves are storm waves that surge out of nowhere, frequently in an unforeseen direction, and resemble a wall of water up to twice the size of nearby waves, according to scientists.

These unusual killer waves were originally considered legends told by explorers or seamen.

A “gigantic” freak wave that the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton encountered in Antarctica in 1916 is described in his book.

In a statement to WRAL-TV, Suzie Gooding, a passenger from North Carolina, stated, “We wondered if we had hit an iceberg.” There are no icebergs out here, but it felt like we had.

The impact of the wave was “shocking,” Gooding told the station.

“Everything was fine until the rogue wave hit, which was just sudden. Shocking,” Gooding said. “We weren’t sure if we should abandon ship or not.”

Durham couple on board cruise ship struck by enormous wave, killing 1, injuring 4 https://t.co/6FIvbmV0dT

— WRAL NEWS in NC (@WRAL) December 2, 2022

However, via research on how they form and how to foretell the wall of water that can rise even in calm waters, scientists have learned more about them recently.

The newest ship in the firm’s fleet was launched in 2022 and is called the Viking Polaris.

Two weeks before the tragedy, two visitors perished on another Antarctic cruise.

The two guys, who were 76 and 80 years old, had boarded an inflatable zodiac boat for an excursion from the World Explorer ship when it capsized close to the coast.

RELATED CTN NEWS:

COVID Severity Softer After Protests In China