Falklands : M/S EXPLORER Sinking in the Antarctic
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 23.11.2007 (Article Archived on 07.12.2007)
All passengers and crew are reported safe in the incident between the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Photo (c) Lindblad Expeditions The M/S EXPLORER has been operated by several tour companies since being sold by Lindblad. In 2004 it was thought the vessel would not be in the Falklands again but enthusiasts decided to refurbish the ship and not to re-name it. The M/S EXPLORER II was meant to replace her.
M/S EXPLORER SINKING IN THE ANTARCTIC
By J. Brock (FINN)
The M/S EXPLORER has been operated by several tour companies since being sold by Lindblad. In 2004 it was thought the vessel would not be in the Falklands again but enthusiasts decided to refurbish the ship and not to re-name it. The M/S EXPLORER II was meant to replace her.
One hundred and fifty four people have been evacuated from the M/S EXPLORER that struck an object in Antarctic waters and was expected to sink, Britain's Coast Guard said Friday. No injuries were reported. And, at present, the ship is listing at 25 degrees after having hit an object but it is expected that the ship will sink.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said it was informed at 12:24 a.m. EST of the incident involving the Liberian-flagged vessel M/S EXPLORER (Formerly the LINDBLAD EXPLORER). The incident was reported near the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula, the Coast Guard said.
Passengers and crew have been picked up by the cruise ship, M/S ENDEAVOUR, and were expected to be transferred later to a larger ship, the NORD NORGE, said Henry Purbrick, the watch officer at the Coast Guard Centre in Falmouth, England.
"There was a lot of ice in the area, but the vessel was built to withstand ice, said Coast Guard spokesman Mark Clark.
"We know she has hit something, and all the passengers are off on lifeboats. The last we heard was that the captain and first officer were remaining on board," Oliver said..
He said a vessel called M/S ANTARCTIC DREAM was heading to the area to assist.
Rescue centres in Norfolk, Va., and Ushuaia, Argentina, were taking charge of coordination, the Coast Guard said.
All of the vessels involved in this latest incident have been in the Falklands recently or are scheduled to come at some stage in this tourist season.
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