Boston Woman Among Hundreds Stranded On Cruise Ship Off Norway
BOSTON (CBS/CNN) – A Boston woman was among hundreds of people who spent a harrowing day on a cruise ship off the coast of Norway after it lost power to engines during stormy weather.
The Viking Sky docked in Molde harbor, western Norway, on Sunday after a day stranded at sea. Passengers shouted, "We made it," as the vessel arrived in port on Sunday afternoon, Norwegian state broadcaster NRK reported.
Rescue teams airlifted 479 people from the ship after it was left adrift in stormy seas Saturday with 1,300 passengers and crew on board. Passengers disembarked with tales of terrifying conditions, with many having been tossed about by wind and waves for 20 hours after the vessel sent a distress signal.
Deborah Kellet of Boston was among those on the ship. Her husband said Deborah was on a cruise to see the Northern Lights with her childhood friend.
Kellet said she and her friend will be staying on the ship at the dock overnight. The recently retired Massachusetts resident texted her husband to say she was exhausted and overwhelmed following the ordeal.
The Viking Sky, which regained engine power on Sunday morning, sailed to Molde harbor accompanied by two supply ships and one tug assist vessel. There were 436 guests and 458 crew still remaining on board.
Twenty people who sustained injuries in the incident were being treated at medical facilities in Norway, or had already been discharged, Viking Ocean Cruises said.
"Throughout all of this, our first priority was for the safety and well-being of our passengers and our crew," Viking Ocean Cruises said in a statement, thanking Norwegian emergency services and local residents for their support.
Rescuers faced rough seas and waves as high as 19-26 feet as they worked to airlift passengers by helicopter earlier on Sunday.
The Norwegian Red Cross, which was treating passengers from the ship at an evacuation center in Hustadvika, said that they were seeing injuries including bruising, broken bones and cuts.
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg thanked rescue workers and volunteers who had helped respond to what she called a "dramatic day" for passengers aboard the vessel.
The US Embassy in Oslo sent a consular team to Molde to assist American citizens being evacuated from the cruise liner.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. CNN's Susannah Cullinane, Nicole Chavez and Eliza Mackintosh contributed to this report.)
