'Rogue wave' strikes Antarctic cruise ship, leaves 1 dead and 4 injured

Table Of Content

• thoughts on “What Happens If A Cruise Ship Is Hit By A Rogue Wave?”
• Deadly 'rogue wave' smashes into cruise ship near Antarctica — but where did it come from?
• A rogue wave caused a cruise ship tragedy. They occur more often than you think.
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• MORE: 'Rogue wave' strikes Antarctic cruise ship, leaves 1 dead and 4 injured
• Norwegian cruise ship loses power after it was hit by rogue wave in North Sea
• How Many Ships Have Sunk Because of Rogue Waves?

The weight of the water would also cause the ship’s hull to buckle and possibly break apart. The Viking Polaris was launched in 2022 and is the newest ship in the company's fleet. State Department spokesperson confirmed the death and offered condolences to the family. Neither the Viking statement nor the Argentine Naval Prefecture identified the woman or her hometown.

thoughts on “What Happens If A Cruise Ship Is Hit By A Rogue Wave?”

He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology. His feature on the upcoming solar maximum was shortlisted in the "top scoop" category at the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Awards for Excellence in 2023.

Deadly 'rogue wave' smashes into cruise ship near Antarctica — but where did it come from?

"This wave hit and came over and literally broke through windows and just washed into these rooms," Tom Trusdale, a passenger aboard the Viking Polaris when the incident happened, told ABC News. A possible rogue wave sent headlines around the world last week after it broke windows on a cruise ship off the coast of Argentina, killing a woman and injuring four others. Reuters reported that the ship was being towed to Bremerhafen in Germany after the power outage. A spokesperson for the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre told the news agency that a ship from civil rescue firm Esvagt had managed to connect a tow line to the MS Maud.

A rogue wave caused a cruise ship tragedy. They occur more often than you think.

These were serious incidents and the ships were lucky to not suffer injuries. The only way that a cruise ship would be able to be flipped over is if it took the wave hit perpendicular on the port or starboard side, along the beam. On a cruise ship, though, you would likely be absolutely fine, unless you suffered from seasickness. With 15 feet waves, you’re going to want to tap into any techniques you have for handling your sickness.

Cruise ship hit by rogue wave during storm, loses ability to navigate - Fox Business

Cruise ship hit by rogue wave during storm, loses ability to navigate.

Posted: Fri, 22 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The ship, which at the time had a capacity of 835, was struck by a freak wave in Cape Horn, Chile. A 62-year-old passenger has died after sustaining injuries from the broken glass. The causes of rogue waves are still largely unknown, but scientists believe they are caused by a combination of factors. A rogue wave is a rare extra-large wave appearing on the ocean surface without warning.

Four other guests sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and were treated by the ship's doctor and medical staff, Viking said. Tsunamis are often caused by the movement of land, usually an ocean floor, that leads to a massive displacement of water and causes the seas to move at high speeds over a large area. Cruise ships typically encounter waves of 10 to 15ft without most passengers barely realizing it. The pressure from the rogue wave could also cause severe damage to any windows and external features of the ship.

Scientists are still trying to figure out how and when these uncommon waves form. The ship sustained "limited damage" from the rogue wave and arrived in Ushuaia on Wednesday "without further incident," Viking said. This also highlights that rogue waves don’t just pose a risk at sea but on any open body of water. Any cruise ships in ports or harbors would be at risk of being damaged in the path of a tsunami reaching land.

Another theory is that rogue waves can be created due to strong winds blowing over a long fetch of water. For example, if a low-pressure system moved across the ocean with high winds. The long fetch of water will create large swells which can combine to form a rogue wave. Yes, the largest waves may cause some damage, and potentially some injuries due to broken glass. But they’re such a freak occurrence that passengers need not let that rule their head – millions of passengers enjoy a cruise each year without incident. Remember that these are only since the official records of rogue waves began.

How Many Ships Have Sunk Because of Rogue Waves?

Suzie Gooding, who was on the ship when the incident happened, recalled feeling like they'd hit an iceberg, according to NBC affiliate WRAL of Raleigh, North Carolina. The four other guests had non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment from doctors and medical staff onboard. In Hamburg, the Elbe River flooded streets around the city's fish market, with water waist-high in places. German authorities warned of a storm surge of up to three meters (nearly 10 feet) or more above mean high tide on parts of the North Sea coast on Friday.

There have been five recorded instances of a rogue wave hitting cruise ships or passengers carrying ocean liners (QE2). There were no reported casualties, and all five ships survived to sail for many more years after. Cruise ships have been hit by rogue waves in the past, but it is not a common event. Since official records of rogue waves began in 1995, seven cruise ships have hit rogue waves. All suffered damage, some reported injuries, and one passenger sadly died onboard the Viking Polaris in December 2022. Three of the other instances of rogue waves also happened in the South Atlantic and also involved small cruise ships.

See the Harrowing Footage of a Massive Wave Slamming into a Cruise Ship - 24/7 Wall St.

See the Harrowing Footage of a Massive Wave Slamming into a Cruise Ship.

Posted: Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

There are typically over 310 cruise ships sailing at any given time, with an estimated 25 million people taking a cruise each year. Although it’s worth noting, this is pure fiction, and the size of the rogue wave is highly exaggerated in relation to the size of the ship. In 2001 Bahamian-registered cruise ships  MS Bremen and MS Caledonian Star were both caught in a rogue wave in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Cruise ships are designed to withstand huge waves and the roughest seas in storms, so even if a rogue wave did hit, the ship would remain afloat, and damage would be minimal. While no cruise ships have been sunk by rogue waves, other types of ships have. Stairwells and hallways are also safer locations to gather as there is less chance of being thrown larger distances and being hit by falling or moving objects. This is where students were told to gather on the MV Explorer after it was hit by a rogue wave and the ship lost propulsion amidst very stormy seas.

Rest assured, cruise ship captains are some of the best ship captains in the world and your safety is paramount. Both ships served many more years as sea vessels, and the Bremen is still sailing. Inside the ship, passengers could be injured or even killed if thrown around by the force of the wave and hit by any internal objects. The force of the water hitting the ship’s side at high speed would be enough to cause the cruise ship to tip over.

Tsunamis have sometimes been called tidal waves in the past, but that is incorrect. A tsunami is a distinctive, one-off wave caused by a huge shift of water, usually as the result of an earthquake beneath the surface, causing the plates to move. So to be clear – the 58-foot tall wave is not the largest wave, and there have been some much larger waves. It’s just that the 58-foot wave is officially recorded as the biggest above the average for the area.