Hurricane Sandy has been moving in towards the east coast of the United States recently, bringing with it a cloud of fear for the residents who live in this area. Recently, the hurricane demolished a tall ship that was located 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, North Carolina. Unfortunately, the large ship was occupied. The HMS Bounty is a 180-foot replica of a ship featured in the film Mutiny on the Bounty, but the large vessel was not strong enough to battle the harsh storm. As the ship began to go down, 16 crew members were tossed into the frigid Atlantic. The Coast Guard was able to rescue 14 people but two crew members are still unaccounted for.
The coast guard says that the men and women that were rescued have no immediate health concerns. The ship left a port in Connecticut last week and was sailing on a cruise to the St. Petersburg, Florida harbor. The crew came into contact with the National Hurricane Center which warned them about Sandy. Unfortunately, the crew decided to forge on anyway, saying that they would try and go around the storm. They were not able to succeed, and were instead thrust directly into the storm. The vessel began taking on water until it slowly sunk downwards. The crew abandoned ship and crowded into two lifeboats where they were survival suits and life jackets during the night.
The Bounty was complete submerged under the water within 24 hours. A Coast Guard plane noticed the ship as it was sinking and was able to bring helicopters to the scene to rescue the victims. The survivors are not being debriefed at an air station. Three helicopters are currently patrolling the area for the two missing crew members. In addition to the disaster on the Bounty this morning, at least five cruise ships that are travelling through the Atlantic have been weathering the storm.
Cruise lines are re-routing their courses to avoid the storm, and many are planning un-scheduled stops to wait the storm out. Those who are trying to pursue through the hurricane say that they have had many complaints from passengers who are becoming seasick. Other cruise lines like Disney are cancelling all of their scheduled trips until the weather fares better. David Gonzales just disembarked from the Disney Dream, and told ABC News that the cruise was terrifying. He said that the ship rocked back and forth drastically and the waves crashed against the sides. If you are injured on a cruise line or have been harmed because of the negligence of another party in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, then contact a personal injury attorney at the Mesa Law Firm. A legal representative at this Miami personal injury firm can help you to obtain the damages you deserve for your injuries!