MV Explorer (1969): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:43, 13 August 2025

Latest revision as of 09:46, 13 August 2025

Line 96:

A [[mayday]] call was put out by the ship at 04:24 UTC, and rescue operations were quickly coordinated by the DPA Peter Burman in Sweden who directly took contact with the [[Argentine Naval Prefecture|Prefectura Naval Argentina]] (the Argentinian equivalent of a coastguard) and the Chilean Navy Center for [[search and rescue|Search and Rescue]]. Chile dispatched the [[icebreaker]] {{ship|Chilean icebreaker|Almirante Óscar Viel||2}}, and nearby commercial ships; including the MN ''Ushuaia'', the {{ship||National Geographic Endeavour}}, and the Norwegian [[Hurtigruten|Coastal Express]] ship {{MS|Nordnorge|1996|6}} which was operating as a passenger cruise ship at the time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.armada.cl/p4_armada/site/artic/20071123/pags/20071123150603.html |title=Armada apoya labores de rescate de buque de pasajeros Explorer |date=23 November 2007 |publisher=[[Chilean Navy]] |language=es |access-date=23 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071125173719/http://www.armada.cl/p4_armada/site/artic/20071123/pags/20071123150603.html |archive-date=25 November 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By 07:30 UTC all 91 passengers, nine guides and 54 crew,{{efn|name=fn1|The crew of 54 was made up largely of Filipinos, 45 of whom were aboard}} from over 14 countries,{{efn|name=fn2|G.A.P. Adventures listed: 24 Britons, 17 Dutch, 14 Americans, 12 Canadians and 10 Australians, four Swedes, four Irish, three Danes, two Argentines, two Belgians, two Chinese (Hong Kong), and single passengers from China, France, Germany, Japan, Colombia, Sweden. Not clarified, are earlier reports of 2 New Zealanders, 2 Bulgarians, and 1 Pole.}} had taken to the ''Explorer''{{'s}} lifeboats.<ref>{{Cite news | last = Reel | first = Monte | title = Passengers of Doomed Cruise Ship Reach Chile With Vivid Accounts | newspaper = The Washington Post | pages = A18 | date = 25 November 2007}}</ref> They drifted for five hours until they were picked up by the Norwegian ship MS ''Nordnorge'', which arrived on scene at approximately 10:00 UTC.<ref name="BBC35"/><ref name="dagbladet">{{cite web |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2007/11/23/519082.html |title=Passengers are being rescued from M/S Explorer |access-date=23 November 2007 |date=23 November 2007 |publisher=[[Dagbladet]] }}</ref>

All of those rescued by ''Nordnorge'' were taken to the Chilean [[Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva|Frei Montalva Station]] on King George Island, from where they were subsequently airlifted by [[C-130]] Hercules [[Cargo aircraft|transport aircraft]] of the [[Chilean Air Force]] to [[Punta Arenas]], Chile,<ref name="BBC35"/> in two separate flights; one on Saturday 24 November and the other on Sunday 25 November. Those passengers not taken to Punta Arenas (an estimated 70) were taken to Uruguay's [[Artigas Base]]. ''Explorer'' was completely submergedsank at 19:00 UTC, approximately 20 hours after the initial impact and damage to her hull.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL2331534120071124 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100418220412/http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL2331534120071124 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 18 April 2010 |title=Passengers unhurt after Antarctic ship hits ice |date=24 November 2007 |publisher=[[Reuters UK]] |access-date=23 November 2010}}</ref> Her wreck lies at {{coord|-62.404882|-57.196247|format=dms}}.

[[File:Explorer-sinking-3.jpg|thumb|''Explorer'' sinking]]