A “rogue wave incident” left one individual dead and injured four others, according to Viking.
The Associated Press reported that authorities said the deceased individual was a U.S. woman — the outlet reported that Argentine authorities indicated that the victim, who was 62, was struck by broken glass when the wave compromised windows amid a storm on Tuesday.
The Viking Polaris ship suffered some damage, according to the cruise company.
“There was a rogue wave incident involving the Viking Polaris on November 29 at 22:40 local time, while the ship was sailing towards Ushuaia, Argentina. The ship sustained limited damage during the incident and arrived in port in Ushuaia without further incident the afternoon of November 30,” Viking noted.
“It is with great sadness that we confirmed a guest passed away following the incident. We have notified the guest’s family and shared our deepest sympathies. We will continue to offer our full support to the family in the hours and days ahead,” the company added. “Four other guests sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the incident and were treated by the ship’s onboard doctor and medical staff,” Viking continued. “We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities.”
Viking noted that it chose to nix the ship’s next voyage, which had been slated to occur later this month.
Suzie Gooding, who was aboard the ship, told WRAL that the rogue wave strike was “sudden” and “shocking.”
“Rogues, called ‘extreme storm waves’ by scientists, are those waves which are greater than twice the size of surrounding waves, are very unpredictable, and often come unexpectedly from directions other than prevailing wind and waves,” according to the National Ocean Service. “Most reports of extreme storm waves say they look like ‘walls of water.’”
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