# Two killed as huge waves hit ship (BBC News)



## SN NewsCaster (Mar 5, 2007)

Two people are killed and six injured as freak waves slam into a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, officials say.

More from BBC News...


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

Also reported 26 Feb COSTA EUROPA collided with wharf at Sharm El-Sheikh in high winds. 3 crew dead, 4 Pax/tourists injured.


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## rickles23 (Oct 13, 2006)

*Two killed as huge waves hit ship*

Hi,
I noticed on the video that the windows shattered. Don't they bother with safety glass?
Regards


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Not so much the wave as the speed of the ship at the time!


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

rickles23 said:


> Hi,
> I noticed on the video that the windows shattered. Don't they bother with safety glass?
> Regards


It was safety glass, the wave was a big one, but as Hugh says above, ship's speed has a major influence in the incident.


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Billieboy said:


> It was safety glass, the wave was a big one, but as Hugh says above, ship's speed has a major influence in the incident.


 It does indeed! One of the very few occasions I had reason to whistle up the captain, in my 2nd mate's graveyard watch, was in the Meddy.
We were going about 17 knots and taking it green over the bow. The captain's response to my call was a simple, keep her going-so I did. The result was a No.1 hatch stripped of it's covers (good job we had hatch slabs and not hatch-boards) and the fo'c'stle head bell was missing-it had been torn from its moorings and landed up with a hole in it at the after end of No.2 against the centre-castle bulk head, beyond repair!
If a wave can do that to a ship's bell imagine what it can do to a window.


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## MikeK (Jul 3, 2007)

I was on a little container feeder ship on a run around the Meddy and when I joined her she was carrying a Lloyds Condition of Class as all the frames in the focsle were bent from butting rough head seas..and she could only do 13 kts downhill with following wind ! I thought the North Sea was the nastiest in winter until I experienced the same period in the Med


Mike


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

I too have experienced some atrocious weather in the Med, not at all like the holiday brochures show it.


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

Leaving Port Said for La Spezia on january lovely weather, three hours on passage and it was blowing 9; after four hours there was a Mayday from a greek ferry, alterd course and wond the turbine up to get 18knots(service was 16), after about 6 hours we were stood down. another two hours ane there was flat calm. 

Eastern Med; the most unpedictable bit of water in the world.


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## Nick Balls (Apr 5, 2008)

They do come in all sizes !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNvmK9mUjvI

The white marks on the jacket are 1Mt apart..........


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## John Gurton (Apr 10, 2006)

Looking at the photos of this ill fated ship you cannot help wonder at the "wisdom" of its design. To have large picture windows for a lounge looking out directly on to the focsle deck would seem to be asking for trouble. No doubt the view of the Evergreen container perched on its focsle was quite dramatic when she was the Norwegian Dream !
Trying to compare other cruise liners it would appear this is quite a unique design. Maybe the other liner companies had ex seagoing nautical superintendents involved in the design !


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## borderreiver (Oct 11, 2008)

And no break water.Looking at holiday tv shows cabins with no bunk boards. no edge on he bunk side table etc.To days ships seem to lack heavy weather gear.


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## Richard1947 (Mar 25, 2007)

Had a similar happening. 

In Mozambique channel force 3 with sea on port bow sailing happily when we hit a small wave which resulted in a block of water the size of a bathtub being thrown up 30 feet into the air hitting the port accommodation front. Porthole (square one) of lounge stove in completely and force of water taking chairs to the rear. Kid sitting in the porthole thrown to the rear as well ending with plenty bruises and cuts.

Checking accommodation front a section of the surrounding steel stove in about 1".

We were doing about 22 knots at the time with the sea oncoming.

Definately a freak occurance.


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