A Fred Olsen cruise ship has been involved in a dramatic rescue in the middle of the Atlantic ocean on December 7th.
The Braemar cruise ship aided the 14-metre Nicollet vessel which had been adrift for 2 and half days. There were 4 Polish people onboard, including 2 passengers and 2 crew members. The Nicollet which is a small sailing vessel was spotted on radar by the officer on watch. The ships were 10 nautical miles apart when first spotted.
The yachts steering gear was out of action and the anchor was deployed. The Braemar supplied the 2 crew members with the materials needed to fix the yacht. The Braemar rescue boat was launched with 6 crew members onboard. Braemar guests were informed of the rescue operation by the captain.
Speaking of the rescue operation, Captain Robert Bamberg, Master of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Braemar, said:
“The sea conditions at the scene were very challenging, with three to five metres of swell, so in order to be able to carry out a rescue operation in such circumstances, everyone must know exactly what to do.
“Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is proud to have a very robust safety culture and procedures in place across its fleet, and my Officers and crew showed true professionalism and knowledge while carrying out this rescue operation. We regularly conduct safety drills and practices, but it was great to see such team work, spirit and determination implemented so successfully in a real-life situation.‎”
The rescue boat picked up the 2 Polish passengers and took them back to the Braemar where they were checked over in the ship’s medical center. With challenging ocean conditions the operation was a success. The 2 remaining crew members on the stricken yacht made repairs and continued the voyage to Dominica. The yacht was sailing from Las Palmas.
The Fred Olsen ship continued sailing towards Bridgetown, Barbados from midday where it’s scheduled for arrival on December 31. The 929 passenger ship is sailing a 15-night ‘Canaries Christmas & Caribbean New Year’ cruise from the UK.
