CHILE: Survivors of an Antarctica shipwreck prepare to return home

Survivors of a ship that sank in waters outside Antarctica ready for their long trips home. Shipwrecked survivors of a cruise ship that struck ice off the coast of Antarctica and sank prepared for their long journeys home on Sunday (November 25). After spending over two weeks together-- including a shipwreck, hours on lifeboats and a rescue that included an overnight stay at a Chilean Air Force base-- the passengers hugged their new friends good-bye. The routine morning was a stark contrast to the drama that unfolded in the waters off Antarctica. British survivor Brian Lee recalled the moment when the shipwreck became real. "The first time it hit us was when-- you see it in books, films-- the captain says, 'This is the captain speaking; abandon ship.' That is the critical moment," Lee said. American tourist Peter De Angelo said the evacuation and rescue were orderly. "Once we got on there, I would say it was sombre," De Angelo said. "We were sitting there quietly. There's no panic." While a few set off for the airport, others shopped at a local mall to replace the clothes they lost when the ship sank. The passengers were evacuated to lifeboats with only the clothes on their back. The shopping trip and hotel accommodations were paid for by Canadian travel company G.A.P. Adventures that owned the ship and arranged the tour. Clutching their bags of new clothes, the tourists climbed aboard a bus which took them to the airport for the first leg of their trips home. Filled with vacationers from the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, Europe, Japan, Argentina and elsewhere, the Explorer ship took on water after hitting the ice at 12:24 a.m. EST (0524 GMT) on Friday (November 23). More than 150 passengers and crew were evacuated by lifeboats and drifted for six hours before they were taken to Chile's Eduardo Frei base in the Antarctic. There, they spent Friday night and most of Saturday before weather conditions cleared and the Chilean military was able to fly them to Punta Arenas.

ITN Source | November 26, 2007

Tags:. .explorer. .brian. .able. .spending. .fly