Monster Waves Hit Louis Majesty Cruise Ship
Three 30 foot waves crashed into the Louis Majesty cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday. Two passengers died.
The Greece-based Louis Cruise Lines ship was north-east of Barcelona, Spain, heading east to Genoa, Italy when three "abnormal" waves struck the vessel.
The waves smashed windows in public areas. CNN reported that the deceased passengers included a German man, 69, from North Rhine Westphalia, and an Italian man, 52, who was traveling with his family.
Fourteen others were treated aboard the cruise ship for injuries, and were hospitalized when the ship returned to Barcelona on Wednesday night. One passenger sustained two broken legs in the incident.
The last "rogue" wave case involved Norwegian Cruise Line's Dawn cruise ship in 2005. The NCL ship was hit by a 70 foot wave, breaking cabin windows and flooding over 60 cabins. Another maritime lawyer in Miami sued NCL, alleging that the cruise line endangered its passengers by trying to sail through rough weather so that the cruise ship could arrive back in port in time to be filmed in Donald Trump's Apprentice television show.
NCL denied these allegations, and a jury decided in NCL's favor.
March 5, 2010 Update: See updated article: President of International Cruise Victims Questions Cruise Passenger Safety - Louis Cruise Lines No Stranger to Disaster
TIME Magazine: "The Cruise Ship Disaster: How Do 'Rogue Waves' Happen?"
Credit:
Video CBS News
Jim Walker practices admiralty and maritime personal injury law. He has been involved in maritime litigation since 1983. Based in
A coincidence? This ship was owned by the company Louis Cruises whose 'Sea Diamond' sank in Santorini on 5th April three years ago; two people also died . . . I was on board the ship when she crashed and sank.
It's almost incredible to believe that the ship's officers (on the bridge) couldn't see this wave coming and give enough warning over the public announcing system so the passengers could get away from the windows and brace themselves. Is this the same cruise line that struck a chartered reef in the Mediterranean and sank one of their ships killing two passengers?
approx 4 hours proir to the incident a wave appeared to crack a window in the same room this was the 1st window on the port side on entering the room, the crew drew the curtains over this window and put a barrier with tape around it, water appeared to be trickling down the wall