Imagine being on a cruise when a storm hits and you lose power. That sounds like a complete nightmare scenario, and it is. And 1,373 passengers aboard the Viking Sky just experienced it.
The cruise ship was just off the shore of Norway Saturday morning when they made the mayday call. They had experienced engine failure and were now stranded in the middle of storm called a “bomb cyclone” that had the air pressure of Category 3 hurricane, according to The Washington Post. The waves were over 60 feet high and the boat was listing wildly. It was also very close to running up against the rocky shoreline.
Prepare for some truly terrifying pictures while you cancel your next cruise vacation.
1. LOOK AT ALL THIS WATER!
#vikingsky emergency pic.twitter.com/9bxdRpB2zV
— David Hernandez (@oxman78) March 23, 2019
2. Videos taken by (LGBT legend) Alexus Sheppard showed just how crazy it got.
Just before the SHTF! #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/NONvQl4dBr
— Alexus Sheppard ?️? (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
You can hear someone say “Not the Steinway!” a few moments before a chair sailed into the piano.
One crew member described the ships restaurants and lounges to USA Today: “Everything was broken: plates, glasses, furniture. He also said he saw a heavy grand piano go flying upside down so things don’t sound good for the piano in this video.
3. Check out how scarily the ship was being tossed around by the sea.
We’re waiting for evacuation by helicopter #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/rqSYaWGi0k
— Alexus Sheppard ?️? (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
“It was frightening at first,” Sheppard told the Associated Press. “And when the general alarm sounded, it became very real.”
4. Part of a ceiling fell ona woman’s head.
Still waiting for evacuation. #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/6EvcAjf5D2
— Alexus Sheppard ?️? (@alexus309) March 23, 2019
5. While the experience was awful, people pointed out how great the ship’s crew was while it was going on.
On board the Viking Sky. The crew is doing an amazing job on trending to us. The galley has been damaged, broken glass, wine bottles, dishes, etc. Yet they have managed to make sandwiches, bring water and keep us calm. #VikingSky
— Michal Stewart (@like2trvl) March 24, 2019
6. But the crew couldn’t do anything about the fact that people had to sleep in the main rooms.
Battery dying and people sleeping everywhere. Probably my last tweet of the night. #VikingSky #Mayday pic.twitter.com/ouzegYmHOD
— Alexus Sheppard ????️???? (@alexus309) March 24, 2019
7. Fifteen hours later, and people were still waiting to be evacuated.
Still on board #VikingSky 15 hours on. Awaiting evacuation. Crew has been fantastic keeping everyone calm and fed. Seas are still rough with winds of 40 knots pic.twitter.com/YoBOk14t1U
— David Hernandez (@oxman78) March 24, 2019
8. People were eventually airlifted to safety via helicopter, which also sounds pretty effing scary.
Norwegian rescue helicopters airlifted passengers from a cruise ship off the coast of Norway after the ship lost engine power amid strong winds and heavy seas. After hundreds were evacuated, the ship regained power and returned to the port. https://t.co/aaaflSyDie pic.twitter.com/y0ioob6kzg
— ABC News (@ABC) March 25, 2019
9. On Sunday, the ship was towed in to shore.
Finally coming into Molde, Norway #VikingStar #WhatARelief pic.twitter.com/SiOiuz80SD
— Alexus Sheppard ?️? (@alexus309) March 24, 2019
10. People were thrilled to be off the boat; many were injured and gotthe care they needed.
Passengers from #VikingSky are received by #RødeKors on arrival #Hustadvika evacuation centre. They receive dry clothes, blankets and first aid. We see bruising, broken bones, and cuts. Many need a hand to hold, a shoulder to lean on, someone to talk to. https://t.co/87I9J5L60x pic.twitter.com/fBiob0vyeY
— Norges Røde Kors (@rodekorsnorge) March 24, 2019
11. And finally, everyone was safe.
— Alexus Sheppard ?️? (@alexus309) March 24, 2019
Whew!
h/t: BuzzFeed