venezuelan ship sunk by cruise ship

Naval Patrol Boat Takes on Cruise Ship. Loses Real Bad.

Turns out you shouldn't ram a cruise ship built to withstand sea ice.

• The cruise ship, built to operate in iceberg-infested waters, suffered only minor damage and sailed to safety while the Venezuelan cruiser sank itself.
• No one was reported injured in the scrape.

The Venezuelan Navy offshore patrol vessel Naiguata, sent to intercept a lowly cruise ship, accidentally owned itself on Monday. After ramming the cruise ship RCGS Resolute 's steel-reinforced hull, the patrol boat sank. (The good news: There were no injuries.)

The Resolute suffered only minor damage because it was reinforced to withstand iceberg-infested waters .

According to Maritime Executive , the incident took place 13 nautical miles off the coast of Isla de Tortuga, an uninhabited Venezuelan island. The Naiguata ordered the Resolute to follow it to Venezuela and port, on the pretext of “violation of Venezuelan territorial waters.”

While the cruise ship crew was consulting with the home office, the navy vessel fired several warning shots and began ramming the cruise ship.

What the crew of the Naiguata apparently did not realize was that the Resolute ’s hull is stronger than average because of its iceberg-resistant hull. The ship’s website describes the hull as having “high density steel plating” to allow it to sail in “ice laden large waters.”

Columbia Cruise Services, operators of the Resolute , tell the ship’s side of the story :

While the Master was in contact with the head office, gun shots were fired and, shortly thereafter, the navy vessel approached the starboard side at speed with an angle of 135° and purposely collided with the RCGS RESOLUTE. The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship’s head towards Venezuelan territorial waters.

While the RCGS RESOLUTE sustained minor damages, not affecting vessel’s seaworthiness, it occurs that the navy vessel suffered severe damages while making contact with the ice-strengthened bulbous bow of the ice-class expedition cruise vessel RCGS RESOLUTE and started to take water.

The Naiguata ended up sinking. According to Columbia Cruise Services, Resolute stayed in the vicinity until the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Curaçao, the authority responsible for local incidents at sea, told it to continue on its voyage. Resolute also claims that offers to lend aid to the stricken ship were “left unanswered.”

The Venezuelan military disputed that , stating “the action of the ship Resolute is considered cowardly and criminal, since it did not attend to the rescue of the crew, in breach of the international regulations that regulate the rescue of life at sea.”

A statement attributed to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro alleged that the cruise ship was actually to blame in an "act of aggression and piracy."

After being released by the MRCC, the Resolute sailed on to safety, docking at the island of Curaçao .

The website FleetMon has a photo of damage to the Resolute ’s hull, which appears minor, as well as a file photo of the Naiguata . The Resolute , built in 1993, is 400 feet long and 59 feet wide. It displaces 8,378 tons and normally carries up to 146 passengers.

Spain's Navantia shipyards built the Naiguata in 2009 as a coastal patrol ship. The Naiguata was 259 feet long, had a top speed of 22 knots, and displaced 1,453 tons. This ship was also armed with a 76-millimeter Oto-Melara rapid fire deck gun, a 35-millimeter Oerlikon Millennium close-in weapon system, and two .50-caliber machine guns. As a surface ship, Naiguata typically embarks with a crew of 34.

It’s not clear what happened here, but one thing is clear: Venezuela’s story doesn’t add up. For one, Resolute was 13 nautical miles off the coast of Isla de Tortuga, and territorial waters extend up to 12 miles.

Plus, an unarmed cruise ship that takes no aggressive action can't be an aggressor and commit “piracy” against an armed navy patrol boat. Finally, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre is a non-partisan agency that would have records of it giving Resolute permission to leave the scene.

Kyle Mizokami is a writer on defense and security issues and has been at Popular Mechanics since 2015. If it involves explosions or projectiles, he's generally in favor of it. Kyle’s articles have appeared at The Daily Beast, U.S. Naval Institute News, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, Combat Aircraft Monthly, VICE News , and others. He lives in San Francisco.

.css-cuqpxl:before{padding-right:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;} Naval Vessels .css-xtujxj:before{padding-left:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;}

The Navy's New Frigates Are Behind Schedule

China Could Rule the Seas With This New Tech

This Is the Most Lethal Submarine in the Sea

The US Navy Wants to Get Rid of These Ships ASAP

The Army is Sailing to Build a Port off Gaza

China Confirms it is Building 4th Aircraft Carrier

Watch America’s Next Carrier Test Its Catapults

Houthi Missiles Have Drawn Blood

Ukrainian Drone Boats Sink Another Russian Ship

Russian ‘Tarantula’ Missile Corvette Sunk

A Ship-by-Ship Breakdown of America’s Ghost Fleet

Venezuelan warship shoots, rams into German cruise vessel before sinking

Us indicted socialist venezuelan president for narcotics operation with terrorists.

RCGS Resolute is a purpose built polar expedition vessel of the highest ice class, rated 1A Super, designed to operate in difficult ice conditions. pic.twitter.com/AMLsae56Vn — Venezuela BTH (@VenezuelaBTH) April 1, 2020

Accessibility Links

Venezuelan navy ship sinks after ramming reinforced cruise liner

A Venezuelan navy patrol vessel has sunk in the Caribbean after ramming a cruise liner, apparently unaware that it had a reinforced hull.

Columbia Cruise Services, the owner of the cruise liner, said that the Venezuelan crew had fired shots and appeared to be trying to seize the civilian vessel, which was also an icebreaker. It described the move as an “act of aggression in international waters”.

The 403ft RCGS Resolute is a luxury liner which sails under a Portuguese flag and is designed for voyages in Antarctica.

It had been drifting 13 miles off La Tortuga, an uninhabited Venezuelan island 60 miles off the northern coast, according to its owner.

Columbia, a German company, said that one of the vessel’s engines had been shut

Related articles

• CruiseMapper
• Cruise news
• Venezuelan Coast Guard boat sinks after collision with cruise...

Venezuelan Coast Guard boat sinks after collision with cruise ship RCGS Resolute

A Venezuelan CG (Coast Guard) patrol boat capsized and sank after a collision with the Portuguese- flagged cruise ship RCGS Resolute . The collision occurred in international waters in the early morning of Monday, March 30. The cruise vessel owned by the Canada-based company One Ocean Expeditions. The accident happened approx 15 mi (25 km) off Tortuga Island.

Before the collision, the Venezuelan patrol boat crew radioed the ship's crew warning them they were in Venezuelan territorial waters and that they were to proceed to Puerto Moreno on Margarita Island  for processing.

In a statement released on Wednesday, April 1, Columbia Cruise Services Ltd (ship's managing company) said the Venezuelan crew fired warning shots into the air as their boat approached the vessel’s starboard side at a high speed. According to the company's statement, the patrol boat repeatedly rammed the bow of RCGS Resolute in an attempt to turn the vessel towards Venezuelan territorial waters.

Both vessels suffered hull damages, but the seaworthiness of the cruise ship was not affected. Meanwhile, the patrol boat started taking on water, keeled over and sank. All the 44 Venezuelan crew were rescued.

Venezuela's Government maintains it was the cruise ship crew who was to blame for the accident, saying that it had rammed into the boat and not the other way around. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said the collision was an “act of terrorism and piracy” committed by the Portuguese ship’s crew. The two countries have opened diplomatic channels to ease tensions and clear up conflicting reports in connection with the accident.

Columbia Cruise Services reported that RCGS Resolute is currently berthed in Port Willemstad (Curacao) for an investigation.

For other RCGS Resolute accidents and incidents see at the ship's CruiseMinus page.

Venezuelan navy gunship rams Caribbean cruise ship Resolute, sinks

Share this article

The RCGS Resolute came out the better of Wednesday morning's encounter. Photo / Supplied Columbia CS

A Venezuelan navy gunboat has picked a fight with a cruise ship, and lost.

RCGS Resolute was undergoing maintenance in international waters in the south Caribbean when the incident took place, on Wednesday morning. The ship was carrying only 32 crew and no passengers at the time.

According to a statement by owners Columbia CS, shortly after midnight, the ship was "approached by an armed Venezuelan navy vessel" which challenged the Resolute and ordered it to sail into the Venezuelan port on Isla De Margarita.

The cruise ship refused, maintaining it was in international waters.

While the ships Master was trying to contact the German company's head office, warning shots were overheard and the gunboat set course to ram the cruise ship.

"The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship's head towards Venezuelan territorial waters," read the Resolute's account .

However this was a big mistake for the over-zealous Venezuelans.

"While the RCGS Resolute sustained minor damages, not affecting vessel's seaworthiness, it occurs that the navy vessel suffered severe damages while making contact with the ice-strengthened bulbous bow of the ice-class expedition cruise vessel RCGS Resolute and started to take water," said Columbia CS.

In a statement the Venezuelan coastguard acknowledged the incident and the outcome, blaming the Portuguese flagged vessel for causing "damage of great magnitude" and "anxiety of the aforementioned coastguard".

The navy deemed the Resolute's action "cowardly and criminal" for not offering rescue to the scuppered sailors, as was their duty by maritime law.

Columbia denied this accusation, saying the ship remained in the water for "over an hour" radioing help from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre on the nearby Caribbean island of Curaçao. Attempts to correspond with the sinking navy vessel, Resolute claims, were refused.

The Resolute moored safely in the port of Willemstad, sustaining only minor damages.

All Venezuelan sailors were rescue by navy support vessels. The Venezuelan state says it will be taking legal action against the cruise liner.

Latest from Travel

Thinking of South Africa? This is still the best way to see the country

How to have the perfect holiday in South Africa.

What can you do if your airline goes bust?

Chinese climbers stuck on cliff over an hour by crowds

Everyone should visit Cambodia at least once - here's how to do it tourist-free

The best winter getaways in the South

おトクにキレイになる情報が満載！

• 【ためるチャレンジ】ボーナスコインGET N
• 【スタンプカード】毎日押して大量コイン☆ N
• 【プレゼント】コインが当たる！ N
• 【すごろく】1位で必ず1万円分のコイン★ N

navalpost.com

• 7,235円(税込)以上の お買い物で送料無料

メンテナンスのお知らせ  | 新お買い物特典プログラム

ブーツダナー／Danner マウンテンブーツ トレッキングブーツ シューズ 靴 メンズ 男性 男性用レザー 革 本革 ダークブラウン 茶 ブラウン D-30800X MOUNTAIN LIGHT2 マウンテンライト2 Vibramソール ステッチダウン製法

※ 商品のお届けについては こちら よりご確認ください。

SHOPPING が販売、発送いたします。

当日発送可 (14:00までのご注文が対象)

• ※ ご注文内容・出荷状況によっては当日発送できない場合もございます。 詳しくは こちら よりご確認ください。
• ※ ポストにお届け / 一点のみ購入でご利用可能です。 ゆうパケットでのお届けの場合はサンプル・ノベルティが対象外となります。 ゆうパケットには破損・紛失の保証はございません。 詳しくは こちら よりご確認ください。

• 靴/シューズの商品一覧を見る
• メンズの商品一覧を見る

sacai nike サカイ ナイキ ジャケットメンズ

キャンプTHE NORTH FACE GTX DENIM Mountain Jacket

専用　507XXオリジナルLevi

DOLCE&GABBANA ドルチェ&ガッバーナ ブルゾン ジャケット ラメスカジャン

56cm袖丈ロンハーマン×ザ リラクス モヘヤ ブレンド ウール ツイル コーチジャケット

このカテゴリのランキングをもっと見る

この商品を見ている人におすすめ

Supreme box logo TEE yellow SサイズTシャツ/カットソー(半袖/袖なし)

ジャンネットお値引き❗️普遍価値✨❗️ CLAUDIO CALESTANI ring

Supreme Brushed Mohair Cardigan Black Lモヘアカーディガン

スニーカーLouis Vuitton シルバー ハイカット スニーカー ヴィトン

限定特価! THE NORTH FACE マウンテンダウンコート メンズM 防水メンズ

トップスセリーヌバイエディスリマン 23SS 2C813275U パームツリー総柄長袖シャツ メンズ 37

A BATHING APE アベイシングエイプ GORE-TEX 1ST CAMO SNOWBOARD JACKET ゴアテックス マウンテンジャケットパーカー イエロー 001HJF701003X62センチ裄丈

2着丈美品21aw COMOLI コットン吊裏毛パーカー 2 Fade Navy

adidas YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 ONYX イージーブーストadidas

サイズKITH Cyber Monday Daytona サイバーマンデー 10周年

羊革×リアルダウン【新品】93800円　高品質羊革１００％✖ホワイトダックダウンメンズ

HM24JK004素材HUMAN MADE 22FW HALF-ZIP ANORAK NAVY 2XL

新品 ボッテガヴェネタ BOTTEGA VENETA 長財布 ジップアラウンド コンクリート190gCONCRETE本体

メンズAIME LEON DORE × NEW BALANCE P550 "RED"

シュプリーム 18SS バックパックバッグ

スニーカーADIDAS YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 SESAME

supreme cardigan BLACKメンズ

ジャケット/アウターtrans antarctica TAE fleece jacket 最安値

DIESEL スウェット S-SAMY FELPA 00S8WCホワイトXXLスウェット

メンズLサイズ　21aw Wtaps TEAM JACKET NYLON TWILL

ヘルプ&ガイド

• ショッピングサービス利用規約
• 個人情報の取り扱いについて
• 特定商取引法に基づく表示
• 商品に関するお問い合わせ
• お問い合わせ（メンバー用）

SHOPPINGについて

への掲載・ビジネス活用

• Reporting Coverage
• Notable Reporting
• Advertising
• Op-Ed Submission Guidelines
• Ethics Policy
• Fact-Checking Policy
• Corrections Policy
• Corrections & Updates
• Middle East
• North Korea
• National Security
• Coast Guard
• Cyber Security

Venezuelan navy boat tried to ram a cruise ship but sunk itself instead

A Venezuelan naval boat attempted to ram a German-owned passenger cruise liner multiple times before the Venezuelan vessel sprung a leak and sunk.

The incident occurred on Monday in international waters off Venezuela’s northern coast, Columbia Cruise Services said in a statement . The cruise ship, the RCGS Resolute, was reportedly undergoing maintenance approximately 13 miles out at sea when the Venezuelan naval vessel approached the cruise ship.

As the Venezuelan vessel first approached the cruise ship, the company said they were ordered to follow the vessel to Puerto Moreno on the Venezuelan island of Isla De Margarita. The master of the cruise ship reportedly questioned the lawfulness of the order, as the ship was international waters and the order would have deviated the ship from its scheduled route.

“While the Master was in contact with the head office, gun shots were fired and, shortly thereafter, the navy vessel approached the starboard side at speed with an angle of 135° and purposely collided with the RCGS RESOLUTE,” the company statement read. “The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship’s head towards Venezuelan territorial waters.”

The cruise ship reported minimal damage, and photos posted to Twitter later on showed scratches on the prow of the ship.

RCGS Resolute with very minimal damage after the collision. Venezuelan navy say the Naiguata was seriously damaged then sunk. pic.twitter.com/DCLCYp9SkT — CNW (@ConflictsW) March 31, 2020

The RCGS Resolute is an ice-class expedition cruise vessel and has reportedly been fitted protective measures for sailing through ice, including high density steel plating and small frame spacing on her hull, according to the vessel’s One Ocean Expedition profile .

“While the RCGS RESOLUTE sustained minor damages, not affecting vessel’s seaworthiness, it occurs that the navy vessel suffered severe damages while making contact with the ice-strengthened bulbous bow of the ice-class expedition cruise vessel RCGS RESOLUTE and started to take water,” the statement on the incident continued.

The cruise ship reportedly stayed by the damaged Venezuelan vessel for over an hour near the scene of the initial attack. The company stated it reached out to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) on the island of Curaçao. Several efforts to contact the naval vessel were made, but reportedly received no reply.

Venezuelan Navy Patrol Ship Sinks After Collision With Cruise Ship An encounter between the Venezuelan patrol vessel GC-23 Naiguata and the ice-class expedition cruise ship RCGS Resolute resulted in the patrol vessel’s sinking, according to the government of Venezuela pic.twitter.com/RXyjUIIMqC — DieselShip (@theDieselShip) April 2, 2020

The Venezuelan government disputed the cruise ship’s version of events. In it’s statement, the Venezuelan Coast Guard ship, indentified as the Naiguat á, responded to intercept the RCGS Resolute amid claims it was sailing through Venezuelan territorial waters. The Venezuelan statement further claims that the cruise ship “boarded (collided)” by the cruise ship and then that the cruise ship did not attend to the rescue of the Venezuelan naval vessel, in an act the Venezuelan government described as “cowardly and criminal.”

Subscribe to our newsletter and breaking news alerts

• Controversy
• ALL BRANCHES
• Space Force
• Vet Resources
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

• Cover Letters
• Jobs I've Applied To
• Saved Searches
• Subscriptions

Marine Corps

Coast guard.

• Space Force
• Military Podcasts
• Benefits Home
• Military Pay and Money
• Veteran Health Care
• VA eBenefits
• Veteran Job Search
• Military Skills Translator
• Upload Your Resume
• Veteran Employment Project
• Vet Friendly Employers
• Career Advice
• Military Life Home
• Military Trivia Game
• Veterans Day
• Spouse & Family
• Military History
• Discounts Home
• Featured Discounts
• Veterans Day Restaurant Discounts
• Electronics
• Join the Military Home
• Contact a Recruiter
• Military Fitness

A Venezuelan Warship Lost a Fight to a German Luxury Cruise Ship

During the early morning hours of March 30, 2020, the German cruise liner RCGS Resolute came under attack from a Venezuelan Navy warship.

It should have been an easy win but, like so many things in Venezuela's recent history, things did not go as planned.

The German ship, owned by One Ocean Expeditions, was in international waters and flying a Portuguese flag. It was adrift as it performed maintenance on one of its engines when it was intercepted by the Venezuelan patrol ship ANBV Naiguatá.

This encounter came just days after the Trump administration declared Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to be a wanted drug trafficker and One Ocean Expeditions filed for insolvency.

Meanwhile, the Caribbean Sea is full of U.S. Navy ships.

Knowing all this, Venezuelan Capt. Granadillo Medina, in command of Naiguatá, saw a ship that appeared to be inoperable, from a company that is essentially bankrupt, floating on the edge of Venezuelan waters -- all while a hostile Navy might be waiting for the right moment to pounce.

From that perspective, one might suspect the Resolute was doing more than just maintaining an engine. Whether they were or not is unclear.

Medina radioed a warning to the Germans, demanding to board the cruise ship for inspection.

The Germans had no passengers and were set to rendezvous with a sister ship in Curaçao. They were already worried about being late and declined to be boarded.

The Venezuelans next ordered the Resolute to sail under escort to the nearby port of Puerto Moreno on Isla De Margarita.

When the Germans again failed to comply, the patrol ship attacked. Naiguatá fired warning shots across the cruise liner's bow. What comes next is disputed by everyone involved.

The Germans allege that the Naiguatá went straight at the Resolute, hitting the cruise ship's bow at a 135-degree angle. The ramming was supposedly the Naiguatá's effort to point the ship toward the island and force her into Venezuelan waters.

The tactic did not have the effect the warship wanted.

The Resolute suffered very little damage, its seaworthiness unaffected. And instead of forcing the cruise ship to go anywhere, it was the warship that suffered massive damage. She quickly began to take on water.

What those on the Naiguatá didn't seem to know is that the Resolute is a purpose-built polar expedition vessel, designed to operate in the most dangerous sea ice conditions. Her hull was reinforced for that purpose. A patrol boat like Naiguatá would never have been able to damage such a hull.

The warning shots are not in dispute, but who rammed who is. The Venezuelans say that after the Naiguatá fired the shots, it tried to cross the Resolute's path and cut the cruise ship off. They also claim the Resolute fired up its engine and intentionally rammed the Naiguatá using its reinforced hull.

Repeatedly.

Venezuela released a recording of the encounter, which can be seen 40 seconds into the video below.

As the Naiguatá began to take on water, the Resolute departed for Curaçao, allegedly leaving 44 Venezuelan sailors to go down with their ship, a violation of international maritime law.

Luckily, they were rescued by another Venezuelan vessel.

The owners of the Resolute deny the ship left the sailors to die. The Resolute's crew says they contacted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Curaçao and asked whether the Venezuelans needed help. The Germans claim they were told they did not.

The only clear fact is that, after the incident, the Naiguatá went to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and no one was killed. But Maduro maintains the Resolute was planning acts of "terrorism and piracy" off of Venezuela's territorial waters.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at [email protected] , on Twitter @blakestilwell , or on Facebook .

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.

Blake Stilwell

You May Also Like

When someone requires downtime or surgery after an injury, the recovery process typically involves a three-phased approach...

The recommendation from the House Armed Services Committee in its draft version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or...

This workout, known as the Reverse Pyramid, is a proven method to increase your strength and stamina. It starts with lighter...

The United States government has designated Friday, May 10, as Military Spouse Appreciation Day, a day to recognize the...

Military News

• Investigations and Features
• Military Opinion

Select Service

• National Guard

Most Popular Military News

For decades, recipients of the Purple Heart were honored with medals that had been forged during World War II, leftover stock...

The Air Force special operations wing in Florida where Senior Airman Roger Fortson served before he was shot and killed by...

Both the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs and the National Funeral Directors Association lodged...

A U.S. Army Ranger formerly stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for beating a...

Latest Benefits Info

• VA Fertility Benefits for Military Veterans
• Virginia Veterans Rally the Troops, State Leaders in Support of Education Benefits
• Burial at Sea: A Time-Honored Tradition
• 4 Tips for Flying Space-A
• The Mental Burden of Using Military Benefits

More Military Headlines

The Army has eliminated a significant part of its online training for enlisted troops -- a learning program that has drawn...

Faced with other more pressing developments in Ukraine and Gaza, the Biden administration has largely kept the threat of...

SpaceX plans to launch 90 rockets into space from a Santa Barbara County military base by 2026, tripling the number of blasts...

It's the first arms shipment to Israel to be revealed since the administration put another arms transfer, consisting of 3,500...

The ATACMS long-range ballistic missiles were destroyed over the Black Sea, the ministry said. The U.S. included the Army...

• Army Eliminates Online Training Requirement for Noncommissioned Officers, Saying It's Too Burdensome
• Military Hearing Officer Deciding Whether to Recommend Court-Martial for Pentagon Leaker
• Willys Jeep: How the US Army Created the Greatest Military Vehicle of All Time
• Ejection Seat Misfire Kills Air Force Instructor Pilot at Texas Base
• Biden Blocks Chinese-Backed Crypto Mining Firm from Land Ownership near Wyoming Missile Base
• 'It's OK Not to Be OK': Special Operations Wing Orders Stand-Down After Roger Fortson's Police Killing
• 2 Navy Destroyers Will Help Protect Military's Gaza Aid Pier, Official Confirms
• Navy Veteran and 'King of B-Movies' Roger Corman Dies at 98
• Tustin Follow-Up Study Finds No Asbestos or Lead Contamination Caused by Hangar Fire

Military Benefits Updates

• Fertility Benefits for Active-Duty Service Members
• 'Erase Them': Former Marine Charged for Allegedly Planning Attack on 'White People'
• Marines Suffer Most Cases of 2 Life-Threatening Conditions Related to Exercise and Heat, Report Finds
• Marine Corps Combat Instructor Role Once Again a Special Duty Assignment
• Man Accused of Aiming Laser at Coast Guard Helicopter Trying to Land at Massachusetts Hospital
• Controlled Demolition of Key Bridge Piece atop Dali Delayed by Lightning, to Take Place Monday
• Upcoming Detonation Should Free the Ship that Hit the Key Bridge. What’s Next?

Entertainment

• A Ronald Reagan Movie Inspired the Secret Service Agent Who Would Save the President's Life 42 Years Later
• The Best Games to Buy Right Now, No Matter Your Current Pay Level

• Subscriptions

Grab a Seat at the Captain’s Table

Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.

Join our crew and become one of the 106,597 members that receive our newsletter.

Venezuelan Navy Ship Sinks After Collision with Expedition Cruise Ship

Share this article.

A Venezuelan Navy ship has sunk after colliding with the ice-strengthened hull of an expedition cruise ship earlier this week. 

The incident took place March 30, 2020 in international waters off the island of La Tortuga. 

Both sides are now blaming each other for the accident. 

Columbia Cruise Services says its expedition vessel RCGS Resolute with 32 crew members and no passengers was subject to an act of aggression by the Venezuelan Navy as the vessel drifting off the coast of the island while conducting some routine engine maintenance prior to its arrival at Willemstad, Curaçao.  

“Shortly after midnight, the cruise vessel was approached by an armed Venezuelan navy vessel, which via radio questioning the intentions of the RCGS RESOLUTE’s presence and gave the order to follow to Puerto Moreno on Isla De Margarita. As the RCGS RESOLUTE was sailing in international waters at that time, the Master wanted to reconfirm this particular request resulting into a serious deviation from the scheduled vessel’s route with the company DPA,” a statement from Columbia Cruise Services said.

“While the Master was in contact with the head office, gun shots were fired and, shortly thereafter, the navy vessel approached the starboard side at speed with an angle of 135° and purposely collided with the RCGS RESOLUTE. The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship’s head towards Venezuelan territorial waters,” it added.

The Venezuelan Navy called the Resolute’s actions cowardly and criminal, accusing the Resolute of not stopping to attend the rescue. 

The Navy said the surveillance ship was Naiguatá was conducting maritime traffic control when it was struck by the Resolute. 

Columbia Cruise Service says the Resolute remained on scene for over an hour and alerted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Curaçao, which eventually ordered the Resolute to proceed to Willemstad, where it remains docked.

The Naiguatá is an 80-meter littoral surveillance ship belonging to the Venezuelan Navy.

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Be the First to Know

Join the 106,597 members that receive our newsletter.

Have a news tip? Let us know.

Stay Ahead with Our Weekly ‘Dispatch’ Email

Dive into a sea of curated content with our weekly ‘Dispatch’ email. Your personal maritime briefing awaits!

Related Articles

South China Sea: Why Are China and Philippines Tensions Heating Up?

MANILA, May 10 (Reuters) – An escalating diplomatic row and recent maritime run-ins between China and the Philippines have made the highly strategic South China Sea a flashpoint. WHAT ARE THE FLASHPOINTS?...

Ship Repair Firm HD Hyundai Marine Solution to Use IPO Proceeds to Boost Growth

(Bloomberg) — Only a day after completing South Korea’s biggest initial public offering in two years, KKR & Co.-backed shipping repair company HD Hyundai Marine Solution Co. has revealed its...

Insurance Firms Deny Chevron’s Claim for Iran Oil Seizure from ‘Advantage Sweet’

HOUSTON, May 8 (Reuters) – Three insurance companies have rejected Chevron’s claim over the seizure last year of an oil cargo by Iran, according to a complaint filed on Tuesday in a U.S....

Why Join the gCaptain Club?

Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.

OUT AT SEA?

We’ve got you covered with trusted maritime and offshore news from wherever you are.

JOIN OUR CREW

Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 106,597 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.

Your Gateway to the Maritime World!

Join our crew.

Privacy Overview

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

44-Foot Whale Found Dead on Bow of Cruise Ship Coming Into New York

The endangered sei whale, usually found in deep waters, was discovered on the bow of a cruise ship as it arrived at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, marine authorities said.

By Livia Albeck-Ripka

As the cruise ship approached New York on Saturday, it was found to be carrying a grim, and unexpected, catch: The carcass of a 44-foot-long endangered whale, draped across its bow.

The whale, which marine authorities described as a sei whale, is known for its rapid swimming and preference for deep waters, far from the coast. Its body was discovered as the ship neared the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, and the authorities were “immediately notified,” said MSC Cruises, which owns the ship.

A spokeswoman for the company said in an email that it had “comprehensive measures” in place to avoid such collisions, including training deck officers and altering itineraries in certain areas to avoid them. “We will continue to evaluate and update our procedures with our partners and the authorities,” she said.

Marine authorities said that they had towed the animal, estimated to weigh some 50,000 pounds, from the bow, and transferred it by boat to a beach in Sandy Hook, N.J., where they conducted a necropsy on Tuesday.

The investigation is continuing, but preliminary results — broken bones in the whale’s right flipper; tissue trauma along its right shoulder blade; a full stomach and decent layer of blubber — all pointed toward the animal having been in otherwise good health when it was likely struck and killed by the ship, said Robert A. DiGiovanni, the chief scientist of the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, which is leading the investigation .

The whale was already “pretty decomposed” by the time scientists began the necropsy, he added, so they worked quickly to collect samples that could be tested for contaminants and other biotoxins that would indicate any other relevant health issues. “It looks like the animal was alive and it was hit by a vessel,” he said, noting that investigators had not ruled out other factors.

Mr. DiGiovanni said that his conservation group, which is federally authorized to respond to marine mammal strandings in New York, had dealt with more than 100 whales over the past several years, many of which had been entangled in nets or struck by vessels. Most of those whales were humpback and North Atlantic right whales, he added, noting that it was more uncommon to come across a sei whale.

Sei whales usually live in subtropical, temperate and subpolar waters and are named after the Norwegian word for pollock, “seje,” because the mammals are often found together with the fish. Their long, sleek bodies are usually dark blue or black with a cream-colored underside, and are often scarred by shark and lamprey bites.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the whales were commercially hunted for their meat and oil, decimating their population, which is now designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act .

Mr. DiGiovanni said that the death was a reminder that humans shared the open water with many other mammals. “When you’re out there, these animals might be there,” he said. “We need to make people more aware about how to operate around these animals.”

A spokeswoman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said by email that mariners along the East Coast were encouraged to slow down their vessels, stay alert, and report any sightings of dead, injured or entangled whales to the authorities.

Livia Albeck-Ripka is a Times reporter based in Los Angeles, covering breaking news, California and other subjects. More about Livia Albeck-Ripka

Cruise ship drags dead whale into New York, prompting investigation

The collision with the 44-foot-long, endangered sei whale could have been avoided, experts said.

A cruise ship arrived in New York Harbor with a dead sei whale pinned to its bow, a revelation that has spawned a federal investigation and has led biologists to examine the whale’s carcass to determine the cause of death.

The MSC Meraviglia was returning Saturday from a Bermuda cruise when it sailed into the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal with the 44-foot-long sei whale affixed to its front. MSC, a Geneva-based cruise line, confirmed the incident “with deep regret” in a statement and said it had immediately notified authorities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement is investigating.

On Wednesday, the whale was towed to Sandy Hook, N.J., for a necropsy. According to NOAA, officials discovered broken bones in the right flipper, tissue trauma in the right shoulder blade region and a belly full of food. Biologists took samples for biotoxin and histopathologic analyses. NOAA spokeswoman Andrea Gomez said the tissue and bone samples can help biologists determine whether the whale died before the collision with the ship or because of it.

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society is leading the whale examination. Results from the exam could take days to weeks, said Kathleen Collins, senior marine campaign manager with the International Fund for Animal Welfare .

Based on the findings released so far, Andy Rogan, science manager at Ocean Alliance , a whale research and conservation nonprofit, said the cruise ship probably caused the whale’s demise. If so, it would have been a sudden death.

“Whales are huge animals, but compared to a ship that size, it’s still a massive impact. So much weight and power is hitting that whale,” he said. “It’s almost certain that a ship strike killed that whale.”

According to NOAA, vessel strikes and entanglement in fishing gear are the biggest threats to sei whales, an endangered species that inhabits deeper waters off the coastline. Population figures are elusive, but NOAA documented roughly 6,300 sei whales between Florida and Nova Scotia from 2010 to 2013.

Sei whales are feeding during this time of year, and Collins said the whales eat on the surface, placing them in the potential bull’s eye for collisions with a ship’s bow. She said crew members and passengers might not have felt the bump because of the ship’s size. The MSC Meraviglia weighs 171,598 tons; sei whales weigh up to 50 tons.

“It really is a tragic case where this strike likely happened and everyone was oblivious until they came into port,” Collins said. “They likely don’t even know exactly where they struck the whale, either.”

NOAA urges boaters operating along the East Coast to cruise slowly, stay alert and report any sightings of right whales or dead, injured or entangled whales. In its statement, MSC said it follows comprehensive measures to avoid accidents with marine life, such as training deck officers with the Ocean Research & Conservation Association and adjusting itineraries in regions populated by whales.

Collins said voluntarily reducing vessel speeds can help avoid run-ins. However, she said, cruise ships and large tankers prefer to move briskly because they are on tight schedules.

Macinzie McFarland, a spokesperson for Cruise Lines International Association, said in an email that cruise ships take several measures to protect marine mammals, including whale observation training for crews and reducing vessel speed.

“The chance of mortality with a vessel strike goes down pretty substantially as you reduce the vessel speed,” Collins said.

Cruise lines also rely on technology such as underwater radiated noise management systems and specially designed hulls, propellers and noise suppression devices that minimize underwater vibrations. .

Marine outlets, agencies such as the Coast Guard and the Whale Alert app share information about whale sightings and locations.

Rogan said there is no “silver bullet” for ships to avoid whales, but advances in technology can help lower the threat. He said hydrophones can pick up whale acoustics, information that NOAA could then disseminate to vessels. At a recent workshop, Rogan said, he learned about infrared cameras that can detect whales within a 360-degree range, particularly in front of a vessel.

Rogan urged the public Thursday to share its outrage about the incident with government agencies and with the cruise line. Collins said she hoped the incident would inspire the cruise industry to act as a better steward in the waters it shares with vulnerable marine life.

The MSC Meraviglia, she noted, is headed next to Canada, a critical ground for North Atlantic right whales, including mothers and their newborn calves.

A previous version of this article misstated the maximum weight of sei whales. It is 50 tons, not 10 tons. The article has been corrected.

More cruise news

Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

• Travel Updates

Killer whale gang sinks another yacht off Gibraltar coast amid fears of summer of attacks

There’s growing concerns around an increase in orca ‘gang attacks’ on yachts and boats — with a recent vessel sinking baffling experts.

Island nation erupts into violence, three dead

Parents of slain surfer make desperate plea

Tragic discovery at front of cruise ship

A pod of rogue killer whales have sunk yet another yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar – the fourth such incident in the past year.

The orcas relentlessly pommeled the 15-metre Alboran Cognac with two people on-board.

The ambush likely came from a notorious pod of whales led by an orca dubbed White Gladis which is thought to have been attacking seafarers for at least three years.

Passengers on-board the vessel said they felt sudden blows to the hull before it started sinking in the Moroccan waters.

They were rescued by a nearby oil tanker which dropped them to Gibraltar after receiving emergency alerts.

The yacht was left abandoned before it sank completely.

Orca attacks on boats travelling through the Strait of Gibraltar – also known as Orca Alley – were first reported in 2020.

These ambushes, which range from orcas simply approaching boats to actively interfering with them, have repeatedly occurred in the stretch of water between Spain and Morocco.

Authorities noticed a steady uptick in incidents and restricted boats from sailing from the tip of Spain due to a staggering 29 reported orca attacks in four months.

The Atlantic Orca Working Group has reported a 298 per cent rise in orca-boat interactions from 2020 to 2023, Forbes reports.

They are said to be led by White Gladis who experts fear could possibly be teaching other whales how to attack and sink boats passing through the channel.

One attack took place in November last year when a killer whale gang furiously attacked and sunk a boat near a Moroccan port.

The Polish company that was operating the boat said all attempts to rescue the yacht failed before it sunk.

The operator said the crew were “safe, unharmed, and sound” following the bizarre incident.

They said in a statement: “Despite attempts to bring the yacht to the port by the captain, crew and rescuers from the SAR (Search and Rescue), port tugs and the Moroccan Navy, the unit sunk near the entrance to the port of Tanger Med.”

Another incident took place in August when a boat full of panicked tourists was attacked by a pod of killer whales.

Footage showed the horrified holiday-makers surrounded by several orcas just off the coast of Sesimbra, Portugal.

Last year, Brit couple Janet Morris, 58, and Stephen Bidwell, 58, from Cambridge, were involved in a whale attack that lasted for an hour.

On May 2, around six orcas reportedly rammed the hull of the Bavaria 46 cruiser yacht they were travelling on, on the Strait of Gibraltar.

Janet and Stephen were stunned when they were alerted with the cry of “orcas!”

Stephen told The Telegraph : “It was an experience I will never forget.

“I kept reminding myself we had a 22-ton boat made of steel, but seeing three of them coming at once, quickly and at pace with their fins out of the water was daunting.”

Janet added: “We were sitting ducks.”

“A clearly larger matriarch was definitely around and was almost supervising,” Stephen added, furthering speculation that it was White Gladis.

The captain of the boat, Greg Blackburn, from Leeds, dropped the mainsail to make the vessel feel “as boring as possible”.

The group of whales and their gang leader eventually lost interest – after causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Why are orcas attacking boats

While researchers are unsure exactly why killer whales have been attacking boats in the strait, many theories have been put forward. Some experts suggest it could be a playful manifestation of the animals’ curiosity.

But others fear a “critical moment of agony” such as a collision may have sparked aggression towards boats. Alfredo López Fernandez, a biologist at the University of Aveiro in Portugal, told LiveScience: “That traumatised orca is the one that started this behaviour of physical contact with the boat.”

Some even speculate White Gladis may now be spurring fellow killer whales on.

Orcas are the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family.

Although they never attack humans, the apex predators can take down large groups of whales, hence the name killer.

More Coverage

What makes them a unique marine mammal is that they often hunt in lethal pods and family groups of up to 40 individuals – and feast on fish, dolphins, seal lions, seals, sharks and stingrays.

The carnivores can grow up to 9.7 metres long and weigh up to six tons – and are immediately recognisable by their distinctive black-and-white colouring.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished with permission

New Caledonia’s international airport is closed and Australians are advised to exercise a high degree of caution, as protests turn deadly.

The parents of a young surfer who was tragically killed in Coffs harbour have issued a desperate plea to their son’s alleged killer.

A grim discovery at the bow of a cruise ship was made after it docked at a port in the US. Investigators are now trying to determine what caused the tragedy.

Watch CBS News

Cruise ship arrives in NYC port with 44-foot dead endangered whale caught on its bow

Updated on: May 9, 2024 / 11:41 AM EDT / CBS/AP

A cruise ship sailed into a New York City port with a 44-foot dead whale across its bow, marine authorities said.

The whale, identified as an endangered sei whale , was caught on the ship's bow when it arrived at the Port of Brooklyn on Saturday, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries spokesperson Andrea Gomez said. A necropsy conducted later confirmed the whale's species and determined that the creature was a mature female, said the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, a nonprofit organization that conducted the exam on an marine mammal.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the whale was on the MSC Meraviglia, which docked at Brooklyn before sailing to ports in New England and Canada.

"We immediately notified the relevant authorities, who are now conducting an examination of the whale," officials with the cruise line said in a statement.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of any marine life," the officials said, adding that the Geneva-based MSC Cruises follows all regulations designed to protect whales, such as altering itineraries in certain regions to avoid hitting the animals .

The dead whale was relocated to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and towed to shore there to allow for better access to equipment and to conduct a necropsy, Gomez said.

The necropsy, an autopsy on an animal, was conducted on Tuesday, Gomez said. Samples collected from the whale will help biologists determine whether it was already dead when it was struck by the ship, she said.

Basic results of that exam showed evidence of tissue trauma in the area of the whale's right shoulder blade and a fractured right flipper, said the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society. In a post shared Wednesday to its Facebook page, the organization also said those tests revealed the whale's gastrointestinal tract was "full of food." Samples of its organs will undergo toxicology reviews and analyses to identify any potential tissue diseases.

"The tissue and bone samples collected will help biologists determine if the vessel interaction occurred pre or post mortem," said the conservation society.

Sei whales are typically observed in deeper waters far from the coastline, Gomez said. They are one of the largest whale species and are internationally protected.

According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation , sei whales eat 2,000 pounds of fish and plankton per day. They can grow up to 60 feet long, weigh as much as 50 tons and live on average between 50-70 years.

The incident marks the latest endangered whale to be found dead along the East Coast.  Last month, federal authorities said a North Atlantic right whale that was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was killed in a collision with a ship .

In March, NOAA said the first  North Atlantic right whale  baby born this season had  died after being hit by a vessel .

Environmental groups have called for tighter regulations on commercial fishing and shipping to try to save the whales.

In Massachusetts, there's a proposal to put  speed limits on fast ferries  to Cape Cod and the Islands to protect whales. The ferry companies counter that this would drastically reduce service, and say their captains have never seen a right whale on the job. 

• New York City

More from CBS News

Body recovered after man, dog vanish with raft in Grand Canyon

8 people killed in mass shooting near resort town in Mexico

Killer whales attack and sink another yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

New York court rejects Trump's appeal of gag order in "hush money" trial

Orcas sink sailing yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain’s maritime rescue service said on Monday, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years.

The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 metres (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9 a.m. local time (0700 GMT) on Sunday, the service said.

The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the hull and rudder before water started seeping into the ship. After alerting the rescue services, a nearby oil tanker took them onboard and transported them to Gibraltar.

The yacht was left adrift and eventually sank.

The incident is the latest example of  recurring orca rammings  around the Gibraltar Strait that separates Europe from Africa and off the Atlantic coast of Portugal and northwestern Spain.

Experts believe them to involve a subpopulation of about 15 individuals given the designation “Gladis.”

According to the research group GTOA, which tracks populations of the Iberian orca sub-species, there have been nearly 700 interactions since orca attacks on ships in the region were first reported in May 2020.

Researchers are unsure about the causes for the behaviour, with leading theories including it being a playful manifestation of the mammals’ curiosity, a social fad or the intentional targeting of what they perceive as competitors for their favourite prey, the local bluefin tuna.

Although known as killer whales, endangered orcas are part of the dolphin family. They can measure up to eight metres and weigh up to six tonnes as adults.

trending now in World News

Distressing moment a wild bull attacks a tourist in front of....

Slovakian prime minister in life-threatening condition after...

Son of former Citibank chief accused of groping woman at ritzy...

Teacher accused of having sex with 2 students tearfully reveals...

Killer whales bang into 50-foot yacht off Morocco, forcing 2 on...

Belgian teen arrested after he allegedly 'lent out' 14-year-old...

Peru classifies transgender, nonbinary and intersex people as...

Natural History Museum curator detained in Turkey for trying to...

Killer whales bang into 50-foot yacht off morocco, forcing 2 on board to abandon ship before it sinks.

• View Author Archive
• Email the Author
• Follow on Twitter
• Get author RSS feed

Contact The Author

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

A pack of killer whales sank a 50-foot yacht in Moroccan waters Sunday when the massive sea mammals slammed into the vessel and forced two sailors aboard to flee, officials said.

Spanish authorities said the crew members were rescued by a passing oil tanker that was alerted to the desperate situation after the boat sprang a leak during the orca encounter in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The two people were customers, and the vessel belonged to Spanish company Alboran Charter, according to the Washington Post .  

The yacht, which was 14 miles from the Cape Spartel coast, later sunk to the bottom of the ocean in the latest orca attack that has prompted experts to warn other sailors of danger in the area.

Last October, a Polish tour agency’s yacht was relentlessly hit by a herd of orcas for 45 minutes that led to “major damage and leakage,” the agency said. The boat ended up sinking.

Orcas also interfered with a sailing race last year when a boat traveling from the Netherlands to Italy had a 15-minute showdown with the animals. The crew was forced to drop its sails and make a ruckus to repel them.

Since 2020, hundreds of boats sailing in waters near Spain, Morocco and Portugal have encountered at least 15 orcas that led to some of the vessels sinking, the Washington Post reported.

Spain’s ministries for transport and the environment warned sailors of sailing boats and small motorboats that orca activity is at its peak between May and August between the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz. Officials encouraged boaters to sail near the coast.

A team of Spanish and Portuguese marine life scientists, called the Atlantic Orca Working Group, said there were 197 interactions between boats and killer whales in 2021 and 207 more in 2022. 

With Post wires

Share this article:

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Templeton boy rescued from cruise ship by Air Force helicopter due to medical emergency

This wasn't how Charles and Angela Bridges of Templeton expected their cruise to end.

It was about five days into their 10-day Caribbean cruise that they began to notice there was something wrong with their 12-year-old son, Aiden. The ship, Carnival Venezia, was returning to New York City and sailing about 400 miles off the coast of North Carolina.

“He was kind of just throwing up and had abdominal pains and just wasn’t looking good at all; he didn’t feel good,” Angela said. “We thought it might be seasickness.”

Other passengers began to notice Aiden’s condition, including one who happened to be a vacationing doctor from Texas. After a quick examination, the doctor recommended taking Aiden to the ship’s medical facilities, where the emergency staff quickly determined that the boy’s condition was far more serious than seasickness – it turned out he was suffering from a perforation of the bowel and would have to be immediately helicoptered to a hospital.

“I was thinking that this was just the worst thing that could’ve happened – also, it wasn’t the first thing I thought of but one thing I thought was, wow, that’s going to (cost) a bajillion dollars,” Angela said. “But at that point I didn’t really care about that, it just crossed my mind.”

Ship's passengers cheered during helicopter rescue

The ship’s crew began coordinating with the Coast Guard to arrange for the rescue. On Saturday, May 4, a U.S. Air Force helicopter was dispatched to the ship, where it hovered in place while Angela and her son were hoisted from the ship’s deck and onto the aircraft. Charles and Olyvia, the couple’s daughter, remained on the ship.

Although she couldn’t hear it at the time, Angela learned later that the ship’s passengers were cheering and applauding as she and her son were rescued by the hovering helicopter.

“I saw videos that people on the ship had taken and posted (online), and it made me feel really emotional that all of these strangers were expressing happiness for this kid – that they didn’t even know was a kid – that somebody’s being taken off the ship for medical attention,” she said. “It was amazing, sort of a ‘faith in humanity’ situation.”

Passenger Marla White of Adams videotaped the dramatic rescue-at-sea. She said she watched in awe as mother and son were airlifted from the ship.

"Just how amazing it was that so many things had to come into play and work together to make it a success," White said. "All the passengers on the deck I was on were just watching and filming and cheering. I shed some tears as it was just an amazing experience on so many levels."

"I'm happy to hear the young boy is doing better, and on the road to recovery," White added.

According to ABC's "Good Morning America," where Angela recounted their rescue, the 920th Rescue Wing performed the dramatic rescue, which required three air-to-air refuelings because of how far the ship was from shore.

Mother and son were flown to a medical center in North Carolina, where Aiden continues to recover from surgery.

“He’s doing OK now, obviously a lot better than when he left the ship. He’s definitely making progress, he’s much more himself than he was even just a day or two ago,” Angela said. “I don’t know when we’ll be able to come home, we’re not trying to rush anything.”

GoFundMe account established after ship's passengers wanted to help

Angela has established a GoFundMe account to help pay for her son’s insurance deductible and out-of-pocket costs. She said she was inspired to start the account after the administrator of a Facebook group page created to let the ship’s passengers stay in contact with each other during the cruise reached out to her and said that others who were aboard the ship were inquiring about ways to help the family.

“Somebody had posted about the medevac, and all the people in the comments were offering prayers to the family and hoping whoever it was would be OK, and I just felt compelled to post to say how much it all meant to me,” she said. “I’m pretty sure the first several donations we got were from people who were on the ship.”

This trip was the family’s first cruise, Angela said.

“When you go on a cruise and you think of all the bad things that can happen, you think about the Titanic and sinking,” she said. “But getting sick and needing to be removed from that ship when you’re in the middle of the ocean is literally the second worst thing you can think of.”

This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Aiden Bridges' emergency rescue by helicopter from cruise ship

Recommended Stories

Don’t sleep on the cubs: continuity, youth delivering for chicago as they begin to find their stride.

The Cubs have weathered a barrage of injuries already this season, yet they sit just 1.5 games back in the NL Central.

Teachers, nurses and podiatrists love these ultra-popular walking shoes — and they're just $31 with Prime

People who are on their feet all day have referred to the comfy kicks as 'bubble-bouncing cushions.'

'Sneakers look like new': These bestselling sponges from 'Shark Tank' will save your soles for just $1 each

They easily return grimy shoes to their fresh-from-the-box glory, fans say.

Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell reportedly expected to miss Game 5 vs. Celtics with calf strain

Mitchell is missing his second consecutive game.

2024 Preakness Stakes post positions, odds: Race favorite Muth ruled out with fever

Mystik Dan looks to claim the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.

Startup Blueprint: TC Disrupt 2024 Builders Stage agenda sneak peek!

TechCrunch Disrupt, our flagship startup event held annually in San Francisco, is back on October 28-30 — and you can expect a bustling crowd of thousands of startup enthusiasts. Expect deep dives into operations, talent acquisition, fundraising, and other crucial topics tailored for the new wave of startup pioneers. While a lot of celebrities invest in startups, the Chainsmokers are different.

The It List: 'Bridgerton' returns with a steamy Season 3, 'Back to Black' shows Amy Winehouse's rise to fame, 'I Saw the TV Glow' blurs reality and real life

The beloved Regency-era romance makes a triumphant return to Netflix.

'Hard Knocks' extending to offseason access and will feature the Giants

The Giants' offseason will be on full display for "Hard Knocks."

GameStop stock tanks 35% as meme rally fades

GameStop stock fell after a two-day meme stock rally.

Inflation pressures ease in April as consumer prices rise at slowest pace in three months

April's CPI report is one of the most important data points the Federal Reserve will consider in its next interest rate decision.

NFL schedule: Packers making international debut as one of 9 teams playing regular-season games outside U.S.

If you're considering a vacation in 2024, why not travel to see an NFL game?

JPMorgan gives a lift to another troubled regional bank

JPMorgan Chase is once again providing a lift to another troubled regional lender a year after it helped calm a banking crisis. This time, it's NYCB.

The 40+ best Amazon deals this week: Save up to 80% on gardening essentials, vacuums, tech goodies and more

We've got our eye on a viral Bissell carpet cleaner on rare sale for $99, plus an Apple iPad marked down by $80, to name a few.

2024 NFL schedule: How to watch the big reveal live tonight

Save the date! It's time for the 2024-25 NFL schedule release.

Why Biden's tariffs on Chinese EVs will have little immediate impact on the US auto market

President Biden quadrupled tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. The catch? Hardly any Americans are buying these cars anyway.

Jalen Brunson's latest masterpiece: Putting on a show that everybody expected

When Jalen Brunson looks like Jalen Brunson, the Knicks win; when he doesn’t, they don’t.

AWS confirms will launch European 'sovereign cloud' in Germany by 2025, plans €7.8B investment over 15 years

Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon's cloud computing business, has confirmed further details of its European "sovereign cloud," which is designed to enable greater data residency across the region. The company said that the first AWS sovereign cloud region will be set up in the German state of Brandenburg, and will go live by the end of 2025. AWS added that it plans to invest €7.8 billion ($8.5 billion) in the facility through 2040.

Welcome to the WNBA: Caitlin Clark's regular-season debut is anything but easy

Clark set the Indiana Fever’s franchise record for turnovers (10), shot 5-of-15 from the floor and struggled with the Connecticut Sun’s physical defense.

NBA playoffs: Jalen Brunson dominates Pacers again to put Knicks on verge of conference finals

The Knicks are a win away from their first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000.

Intuitive Machines wants to help NASA return samples from Mars

Intuitive Machines is looking to help reshape the Mars Sample Return mission architecture with its own technology, based on architecture it has been developing for the moon, executives told investors during a quarterly earnings call Tuesday. “Intuitive Machines has engaged the agency and intends to provide a solution set based on technology architecture we have been developing for lunar material return,” Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said. The Mars Sample Return (MSR) program is the agency’s $11 billion, 15-year mission to collect and return samples from the red planet, but NASA administrators finally admitted last month that the architecture had become too complex and too expensive.