Medics drop cruise ship passenger into North Sea

Shield

A British tourist fell into the North Sea in subzero conditions as she was being carried on a stretcher off a cruise ship.

Janet Richardson, 73, from Penrith in Cumbria, was on the Ocean Princess, which had left Hull at the end of March for a coastal tour of Norway including viewings of the northern lights. Her 78-year-old husband, George, was with her.

When she fell seriously ill, the ship's captain decided she should immediately be taken to hospital in Norway.

However, while the rescue teams were moving her on a stretcher to a rescue boat, she fell into the sea – which was about -3C at the time. It then took almost eight minutes to retrieve her from the water.

She was eventually transported to hospital in Bodø, Norway, accompanied by her husband, who remained by her bedside for several days before she was airlifted to Cumberland infirmary in Carlisle, where she is receiving treatment.

Fellow passenger Colin Prescott, from Burscough, Lancashire, saw the rescue attempt with his wife Sheila.

He said: "The vessels, which had not been latched together, suddenly moved apart by several feet just as they were transferring her, which caused the rescue crews to drop the stretcher into the sea.

"We had been told the sea was about minus three that day. The rescue boat came back round to pick her up and she was taken to hospital, but she was in the water for about eight minutes."

A spokesman for Cruise & Maritime Voyages, which operates the service, said: "The lady was very seriously ill and the captain and the ship's doctor decided that she needed to disembark as a matter of emergency because the ship was not due to dock at its next calling point until the following day.

"Under these circumstances a rescue was launched and, although the ship is equipped with a helipad, the Norwegian rescue crews decided to launch a sea rescue. Unfortunately, during this rescue the lady did fall into the sea, but she was then taken to hospital and treated.

"Although we do not own this ship, we have been in contact with the ship's owners and the Norwegian rescue authorities and a full investigation is taking place."

The spokesman said the company took the safety and comfort of its passengers very seriously and although the logistics of the rescue were in the hands of the Norwegian rescue team, Cruise & Maritime Voyages would assist the investigation.

Shirley Bottelfsen, who helps out at the Norwegian hospital where Mrs Richardson was treated, said: "It was a terrible experience for her, for her husband and the other passengers. Everyone in Bodø feels very sorry for them. Luckily Janet had a lifebelt on which saved her life.

"She was fully aware of what happened. Naturally, from the cold water she became weaker. Janet improved every day she was with us, but it will take some time to be completely recovered.

"No one as yet knows if there will be any reaction from her time in the sea, but they are doing full investigations on everything.

"It has been a great strain on George – he sat at his wife's bedside on the intensive care unit most of the day."

Source

Kaffy

This is mental.....

Shield

A cruise ship passenger who was dropped into the freezing Arctic Ocean during a botched rescue attempt has died in hospital.

Janet Richardson, 73, passed away today at Cumberland Infirmary, where she was taken on Thursday after the accident. Her husband George, 78, was at her side.

Mrs Richardson, from near Penrith, was aboard the Ocean Countess cruise liner on a trip along the coast of Norway when she was taken ill with internal bleeding and had to be taken ashore.

However, as she was being transferred into a lifeboat to be taken to hospital, she plunged into the sub-zero waters.

The ship’s captain had been so concerned about her condition that he decided she needed urgent medical treatment and would have to be taken to a hospital immediately.

He radioed the authorities on the Norwegian mainland and they launched a rescue operation.

Within minutes a lifeboat had pulled up alongside the Ocean Countess and Mrs Richardson was placed on a stretcher.

But as she was passed from the Ocean Countess to the waiting lifeboat the two boats moved apart from one another and Mrs Richardson was suddenly dropped into the icy sea – which was as cold as -3C (27F).

They then took an astonishing four minutes to pull her to safety. The horrifying events were captured on film by a stunned passenger on the icy deck above. His extraordinary pictures show Mrs Richardson struggling to stay afloat in the freezing water.

Mrs Richardson, who was wearing a lifebelt during the rescue attempt, was eventually hauled back on to the lifeboat and transported to Bodo, just north of the Arctic Circle.

But at the dockside she stopped breathing and was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before being taken to a nearby hospital where she was put under sedation.

She was then airlifted to the Cumberland Hospital in Carlisle, Cumbria, where her devastated husband kept a bedside vigil in the intensive care unit.

Before her death, the retired farmer from Penrith spoke of the moment he watched his wife fall into the sea and disappear from view on what was meant to have been the cruise of a lifetime.

‘When they tried to move her on to the lifeboat the ship was still moving,’ Mr Richardson said. 'They tried to keep the lifeboat close to the side but suddenly its rear end moved away from the main ship.

‘There were six men on the stretcher but it went down and then Janet slipped into the sea. I just saw the end of the stretcher go in. It was very traumatic to see her fall.

'I was going to go with her once they got her out but they decided they'd better get her to the shore fast and then come back for me. They gave her mouth-to-mouth on the dockside. Her temperature was very low after being in the water, but luckily they managed to get that back up and put her under sedation for a good while.’

The couple had booked the cruise to fulfil their dreams of seeing the Northern Lights for themselves and boarded the ship in Hull on March 20. But just nine days into their 13-night voyage to the Arctic Circle disaster struck. Mrs Richardson, who suffered from diabetes, fell ill during the night on March 28.

She was examined by the ship’s doctor the following morning at 5am and transferred to the onboard hospital where she was attached to a drip.

Then, at 10.30am, the captain decided her condition had deteriorated to such an extent that they could not wait another day before making port in Alseund.

He radioed for immediate assistance and a Norwegian lifeboat was instantly launched.

‘They were originally going to use a helicopter but then they decided to use a boat instead,’ added Mr Richardson.

‘The authorities over there have said health and safety is tantamount but if they had wanted to be totally safe they could have gone into port, which would have made things safer.

‘They could have held the lifeboat to the ship with a rope or something. But they were reluctant to go into port because they were already running late and it would have cost extra and caused further delays.’

Voluntary worker Shirley Bottelfsen, 73, who is originally from Ireland but now lives in Bodo, helps out at the Norwegian hospital where Mrs Richardson was treated.

She said: 'It was a terrible experience for her, her husband and the other passengers.

'Everyone in Bodo feels very sorry for them.'

Mrs Richardson was treated in Norway and underwent brain and heart scans before being airlifted back to the UK last Wednesday.

She had a tracheotomy in her throat and could not speak and was also suspected of having kidney problems. The couple, who have both been married before, have children from previous relationships and together have a total of eight grandchildren.

A spokesman for Cruise and Maritime Voyages, which operates the service, said at the time: ‘Although we do not own this ship, we have been in contact with the ship's owners and the Norwegian rescue authorities and a full investigation into the incident is taking place.

‘We take the safety and comfort of our passengers very seriously, and although the actual logistics of the rescue was in the hands of the Norwegian rescue team, we will assist the investigation fully.’

The ship is owned by Majestic International Cruises.

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angelfire9

Bloody hell that's terrible
Poor woman

Manic Moran

Doesn't seem to state whether the time in the water was a contributing factor to her death.

NTM

Traumadoc

Hypothermia could cause her to bleed more if she had internal bleeding , but can be protective to the brain if you have a card respiratory arrest.