An airlift rescue mission was under way Saturday after a cruise ship was caught in a brutal storm off the coast of Norway.
First responders airlifted dozens of passengers aboard the Viking Sky, a vessel built in 2017. According to the first responders, the ship was caught in a severe storm over the Norwegian sea off the Scandinavian country’s western coast, reports said
The vessel was forced to anchor onto the sea floor and attempt to weather the storm. As the risk persisted, officials were called to begin a rescue operation.
“We were having lunch when it began to shake. Window panes were broken and water came in. It was just chaos. The trip on the helicopter, I would rather forget. It was not fun,” John Curry, an American passenger, told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.
The latest figures show that only 87 passengers had been airlifted from the vessel as of 6 p.m. GMT. The mission is set to continue throughout the night according to the Norwegian rescue service. Borghild Eldoen, a spokeswoman for the rescue service, said that 8 of those evacuated had suffered minor injuries.
The Norwegian Meteorological Institute said Saturday that waves hit 6-8 meters high, roughly 20-26 feet, well outside the permissible range for safe navigation.
The area of the Norwegian Sea is notorious for its violet weather. The local public broadcaster said that the government is looking into proposals to “build a giant ocean tunnel through a nearby mountain to improve safety.”
