The UK Ministry of Defence has offered new particulars on the rescue of a whole bunch of passengers and crew who have been compelled to desert a luxurious cruise ship within the Southern Atlantic following a serious engine room fireplace.

As gCaptain reported yesterday, the hearth broke out Wednesday morning at about 2 a.m. onboard the French cruise ship Le Boreal, with 347 passengers and crew, because it sailed close to the Falkland Islands. A press release from the proprietor of the vessel, Ponant, stated the passengers have been evacuated as a “precaution” and have been later launched into one other Ponant vessel, L’Austral, which occurred to be close by.

But particulars launched by the MoD on Thursday described the incident as a serious search and rescue operation carried out in tough circumstances. The ship was additionally in peril of grounding, at one level coming inside 3 miles of land even. 

“The ship reported suffering a major engine room fire, which caused the loss of all power and left the ship drifting,” the MoD stated in its assertion. “A north-westerly gale placed the ship in real danger of grounding on Cape Dolphin, East Falkland.”

With the grasp giving the order to desert ship, the MoD deployed British forces based mostly within the Falkland Islands to help.

“Two Royal Air Force Sea King Search and Rescue helicopters were scrambled, along with two other support helicopters, a C130 Hercules and a Voyager aircraft for command and control. The Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Clyde was despatched to the scene, as were Dutch tugs which support British Forces in the Falkland Islands,” the MoD stated.

With the HMS Clyde offering help to 200 evacuees onboard two lifeboats, RAF helicopters winched one other 79 folks from the deck of the cruise ship and two liferafts, the MoD. Those 79 folks have been finally delivered to the British Forces Base at Mount Pleasant the place they obtained care, clothes, meals and medical consideration.

Part of the rescue was caught on tape:

“All passengers and crew from Le Boreal have been accounted for and are being looked after on the Falkland Islands,” the MoD stated.”The vessel itself is now in a secure situation and two Dutch Tugs, underneath contract to British Forces, are actually helping to deliver the vessel alongside within the Falkland Islands for an in depth evaluation of her situation.”

Commenting on the rescue, Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands, Cdre Darren Bone, stated:

“We responded with everything we had yesterday to assist in what was an extremely complex and hazardous rescue operation in difficult conditions but I am delighted that we can report all of the passengers and crew of the vessel are safe and well and the vessel itself in a stable condition. This was a huge team effort involving close liaison with the Falkland Islands Government and I am enormously impressed with the reaction by all the British forces involved, it was an exemplary performance all round.”

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