A cruise ship broke free of its moorings and injured two passengers, causing an hours-long delay in its departure.
The Norwegian Epic broke free in Catania, Sicily, during strong winds.
Woman Falls Into The Water
The momentum caused concrete mooring posts to break free from the dock and the gangway connecting the ship to the pier collapsed, causing a woman to fall into the water.
She was rescued by her husband, and the incident was caught on video. According to one passenger, Brian Koning, the mooring lines “snapped like twigs.”
“Our ship is now out in the ocean and we are stuck between the entry building and the dock. They rescued passengers from the water,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
The woman and her husband were helped out of the water and taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries.
“On-duty crew members were able to immediately assist the guest from the water and see that they were evaluated by the medical team. It was determined that they sustained minor injuries,” a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said.
Boarding Delayed by Several Hours
The Italian Meteorological Service had issued a weather warning for strong wind gusts of up to 57 miles per hour.
After Norwegian Epic’s mooring lines broke, it drifted out into the harbor, leaving passengers stranded at the pier.
Due to the weather, it took several hours to secure the ship. Boarding was restarted around six hours later.
“The disembarkation and embarkation process was paused until weather conditions improved and the ship was able to safely dock again. The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority,” the cruise line said.
Authorities are investigating the incident. The 4,000-guest Norwegian Epic is sailing a 10-night round-trip Mediterranean voyage from Civitavecchia (Rome).
