Thread: MV Explorer SINKING!

MV Explorer hits Antatctic Ice,
And is SINKING!!

The ship struck ice off King George Island, which opened a gash in the hull several inches wide. Pump are being used to try to save the ship, but the Coast Guard says they expect it will sink. Last report had it listing at 25 degrees.

All 100 passengers and all but two of the crew made it into life boats, and other ships were in the process of picking them up. Only the captain and first mate were still onboard at last report.

This all begain just between midnight and 1:00 am this morning

From FOX NEWS:


LONDON — More than 150 passengers and crew took to lifeboats in Antarctic waters on Friday after their cruise ship hit an object and began taking on water through a hole in the hull, Britain's Coast Guard said. No injuries were reported.
"Latest reports are that all persons are safe and accounted for," said Coast Guard spokesman Fred Caygill.
Evacuees from the Liberian-flagged Explorer were boarding another cruise ship, Endeavor, near the South Shetland Islands and were expected to be transferred later to a larger ship, said Henry Purbrick, watch officer at the Coast Guard center in Falmouth, England.
Click here for additional reporting from Sky News
"We believed it has been hulled, it has a hole the size of a fist and some cracking in the hull of the ship, it's taking water and it's listing about 21 degrees," Caygill told AP Radio.
"There has been some information coming back that it may have hit an iceberg but it has not been confirmed."
It was unclear whether the vessel would sink, Caygill said.
There was a lot of ice in the area, but the vessel was built to withstand ice, said another Coast Guard spokesman Mark Clark.
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The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was informed at 12:24 a.m. EST of the incident involving the 2646-ton vessel Explorer.
The incident was reported near the South Shetland Islands and Graham Land, an Antarctic peninsula, the Coast Guard said.
Rescue centers in Norfolk, Va., and Ushuaia, Argentina, were taking charge of coordination, the Coast Guard said.
It was believed the passengers included 22 or 23 British citizens, and undetermined numbers of Americans and Canadians, the Coast Guard said.
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The Explorer--they now don't expect her to sink

Hope she doesn't.
Anyone seen any updates in the last several hours? I have been busy with Thanksgiving company and haven't seen anything.

Excerpts from this article
Rescue Operation For Sinking Cruiseliner In Antartic |Sky News|World News

The stricken Explorer is now listing at 75 degrees.
In total 100 passengers and 54 crew were saved in a major rescue operation off the Argentinian coast.

Two crew initially stayed on board to pump out water from the Explorer, which suffered a small rupture in its hull after striking the iceberg.
But the vessel is expected to sink into the 2,000ft depths.
Rescue mission in icy waters

UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman Mark Clark said: "The vessel is in a poor way and its listing is getting worse."

At 75 degrtees, sounds like it's pretty much a goner. Sad to see one lost, but good to see no loss of life.

This is very strange! All the earlier pictures of the Explorer showed her in open water, yet this one, which shows her sinking is surrounded by ice.

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You can see a series of photos here.