Viking Sky Cruise Ship Finally Reaches Port a Day After Issuing Mayday Call

Yesterday the cruise ship Viking Sky became stranded off the coast of Norway after it suffered propulsion issues while sailing in choppy seas. 

The ship issued a mayday call after ship authorities realized that the vessel would not be able to make it back to shore. This set off a frantic rescue effort, which saw hundreds of passengers airlifted from the ship by helicopter. 

A day after the ordeal began, the ship was towed to the port of Molde with approximately half of its passengers still aboard. 

Travelers who were aboard the ship during the emergency reported a chaotic scene; many people were injured as the ship listed in the sea, sending furniture and other items careening inside the vessel. 

In a statement on its website, Viking Ocean Cruises said:
“All passengers and crew are safe, and passengers will be flying home starting tonight. Throughout all of this, our first priority was for the safety and well-being of our passengers and our crew. We would like to thank the Norwegian Redningssentral and the Norwegian emergency services for their support and skill displayed in managing the situation in very challenging weather conditions.”

Viking Ocean Cruises is an arm of the Viking River Cruises company.