Luxury cruise ship freed in Greenland after 3 on board test positive for COVID-19
A Greenland fishing vessel successfully freed the Ocean Explorer from mud and silt that immobilized the cruise ship
Cruise industry seeing summer boom with pandemic restrictions lifted
Cruise ships are seeing more people come on board this summer. 31.5 million people are expected to cruise this year. That would be more than the last full year before the pandemic.
A luxury cruise ship carrying 206 passengers and crew was "successfully" freed Thursday amid fears of a potential COVID-19 outbreak on board.
The owner of the Ocean Explorer, Copenhagen-based SunStone Ships, said a fishing vessel owned by the Greenland government pulled the cruise ship out of the mud and silt that had immobilized it.
"On Thursday early morning the OCEAN EXPLORER was successfully pulled of the grounding in the East Greenland Fjord. This was done based on a pull from the vessel TARAJOQ and the vessel’s own power," SunStone said in a news release. "There have not been any injuries to any person onboard, no pollution of the environment and no breach of the hull."
The company added, "The vessel and its passengers will now be positioned to a port where the vessel’s bottom damages can be assessed, and the passengers will be taken to a port from which they can be flown back home."
LUXURY CRUISE SHIP WITH 206 PASSENGERS RUNS AGROUND IN GREENLAND
Three passengers aboard the Ocean Explorer cruise ship have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and are isolating. (SIRIUS/Arctic Command / Fox News)
Earlier, three people aboard the Ocean Explorer tested positive for COVID-19 and were placed in isolation, the ship's operator, Australia-based Aurora Expeditions, said Wednesday, according to The Guardian. They are being attended by an on-board doctor and medical staff and are "doing well," the company said.
The Danish military's Joint Arctic Command (JAC) said the Ocean Explorer ran aground on Monday in Alpefjord in Northeast Greenland National Park, about 870 miles northeast of Greenland's capital Nuuk. The 341-foot ship was immobilized in mud and silt, and high tides were not enough to lift the Ocean Explorer free.
No one was injured, and there were no reports of anyone in danger, the JAC said. However, the nearest Danish Navy vessels were days away, and bad weather delayed an inspection ship from arriving until Friday evening at the earliest.
Armed forces personnel stationed in Greenland inspected the Ocean Explorer and spoke with those on board, concluding that they were in good condition.
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The Ocean Explorer luxury cruise ship remained grounded Thursday after a fishing vessel failed to move the ship at high tide Wednesday, Danish authorities said. (SIRIUS/Arctic Command / Fox News)
Aurora Expeditions previously said that passengers and crew aboard the Ocean Explorer were "safe and well."
"We are actively engaged in efforts to free the MV Ocean Explorer, from its grounding. Our foremost commitment is to ensure the vessel’s recovery without compromising safety," the company said in a statement. "We have also secured the support of other vessels in the vicinity should their assistance become necessary."
Gina Hill, an Australian passenger aboard the Ocean Explorer, told The Guardian that she and her husband felt a shudder and heard a scraping noise when the ship ran aground Monday.
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The Ocean Explorer cruise ship ran aground Monday and has been stuck in a national park in Greenland for several days with 206 people on board. (SIRIUS/Arctic Command / Getty Images)
Hill said those aboard were in good spirits and had been entertained by lectures and stories of expeditions from the crew.
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"No one seems to be afraid, and they’re giving us updates quite regularly," Hill said.
She added that some passengers chose to wear masks in public spaces after the confirmed COVID-19 cases, but others did not.
Reuters contributed to this report.