Authorities have diverted two of the five helicopters being used to rescue the 1,300 passengers and crew from the Viking cruise ship to help the Hagland Captain cargo vessel’s crew of nine in the storm, according to SFGate. British and American tourists make up the majority of passengers on the cruise ship.
Both ships have experienced engine failure in the stormy Hustadsvika Bay region off the coast of Western Norway. Earlier today, the Viking cruise ship sent out a mayday call when they ran into propulsion problems. The crew was able to anchor in Hustadsvika Bay, between the western Norwegian cities of Alesund and Trondheim so that evacuations could take place.
Authorities told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that a strong storm with high waves was preventing rescue workers from using lifeboats to rescue the passengers. “It’s a demanding exercise because they (passengers) have to hang in the air under a helicopter and there’s a very, very strong wind,” witness Odd Roar Lange told NRK at the site.
Both ships are now trying to avoid being dashed into the rocky shoreline. Rescue workers are saying it will take hours to rescue all the passengers and crew of the vessels. Passengers were terrified.
Janet Jacob was among the first group of passengers evacuated by helicopter. “I have never seen anything so frightening,” said one of the passengers who was rescued, Janet Jacob, reported AFP.