Last night I posted the story about the MV Ushuaia running aground at the entrance of Wilhelmina Bay, near Cape Anna. Today, the Associated Press has posted an update on the situation.
According to this latest report, the Chilean Navy has arrived on the scene and successfully evacuated all 122 passengers on board the cruise ship. That naval vessel, the Aquiles will now deliver them to the Presidente Frei naval base in Antarctica where they will await pick-up by another ship.
The Ushuaia sent out a call for help mid-day yesterday when it struck a rock, and took damage to it's hull, resulting in a fuel leak and the ship taking on water. The AP says that there didn't appear to be any danger that it would have sunk altogether, but the damage was enough to leave the craft adrift in the Guillermina Bay.
To help prevent damage to the fragile environment in which the ship is currently stranded, the Chilean Navy positioned another vessel nearby to help with clean-up and to observe the situation first hand.
Meanwhile, the Dot Earth Blog, where I first came across the story last night, has another interesting post that examines the dangers of the polar tourism boom poses to both people and the environments in which they are sailing. You can read that article here.
No comments:
Post a Comment