The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is concerned in search operations trying to find a person reported overboard from Holland America Line’s MS Koningsdam. The ship is crusing Alaskan itineraries this summer season, and was close to Juneau when the report was made late Monday, August 8, 2022.
Man Reported Lacking, Presumed Overboard
The person, a 31-year-old crew member, was reported lacking shortly after MS Koningsdam departed Juneau, Alaska, the place the ship had been visiting on Monday.
The ship departed Juneau at roughly 10 p.m. native time, and the lacking individual report was recorded at 10:45 p.m. whereas the ship was in Gastineau Channel adjoining to Douglas Island. Safety personnel onboard the vessel reviewed video footage to find out if the person could possibly be positioned.
Anchorage Each day Information communicated with Holland America Line, receiving an official assertion concerning the incident. “A assessment of closed-circuit TV footage indicated the person probably went overboard deliberately,” the assertion stated.
The U.S. Coast Guard was notified and a search-and-rescue boat was dispatched, arriving on the scene at 11:15 p.m. A helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka was additionally enlisted within the search operations, arriving on the famous space at roughly 12:40 a.m. Sitka is roughly 93 miles southwest of Juneau.
MS Konigsdam, in addition to MS Eurodam, which had additionally been in port in Juneau on Monday, assisted within the search, scanning the world for a number of hours earlier than the ships had been launched to proceed on their deliberate routes early Tuesday morning.
At the moment, the search to find the lacking crew member continues to be ongoing. “The Coast Guard is working diligently with the help of different businesses to find the crewmember,” stated Ens. Maximilian Carfango, Sector Juneau command middle responsibility officer, in a USCG information launch issued Tuesday afternoon.
Consequence Unsure
Whereas the search is continuous in the intervening time, the end result is much from optimistic at the moment, because the crew member has now been lacking for greater than 15 hours. The common water temperature close to Juneau at the moment of 12 months is 55 levels Fahrenheit.
At that temperature, a person with out thermal gear or different help is barely anticipated to outlive roughly 3.5 hours.
“All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this incident and our ideas and prayers are together with his household at this troublesome time,” the assertion from Holland America Line stated. “We’re providing counseling providers to group members and friends who could have been affected by this incident.”
Sadly, this isn’t the one overboard incident recorded in Alaskan waters this 12 months. In Could, a lady was reported overboard from Celeb Cruises’ Celeb Solstice, additionally close to Juneau on the time. That search was referred to as off after 9 hours, primarily based on water temperature and climate circumstances on the time.
MS Koningsdam is a Pinnacle-class vessel, and entered service for Holland America Line in 2016. The ship has a visitor capability of two,650 at double occupancy and a crew of 1,036 group members from all kinds of countries.
The ship is crusing 7-night roundtrip Inside Passage itineraries from Vancouver, Canada, this summer season, with port visits in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, in addition to scenic cruising alongside the Inside Passage and in Glacier Bay.
MS Koningsdam continued its itinerary on Tuesday, calling at Skagway as deliberate. No delays had been reported. Cruise Hive’s greatest ideas are with the crew and crew member’s households at this troubled time.