CRUISE SHIP HELL: Dozens of Passengers Stranded on Reef as Rescue Efforts Stall Off Papua New Guinea Coast
- Australian-registered Coral Adventurer ran aground on a reef off Papua New Guinea, leaving 123 people on board in a desperate fight for survival
- The luxury cruise ship is tilted a terrifying six degrees to the left, with refloating efforts hampered by treacherous tidal conditions
- This is the second major incident involving the Coral Adventurer in just months, after an 80-year-old Australian woman died on a day excursion in October
In a dramatic and terrifying turn of events, the Coral Adventurer, a luxury cruise ship, has run aground on a reef off the Finschaffen Coast, east of Lae and about 30km north of Port Moresby, leaving dozens of passengers stranded in a desperate fight for survival.
The ship, which set off from Cairns on December 18, was on its Frontier Lands cruise when disaster struck at 5.25am local time on December 27. On board were 123 people, including 80 passengers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Israel, as well as 43 crew members.
“Initial efforts were made to refloat the ship using its own engines, but these were unsuccessful,” a spokesperson for the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said in a statement. “The ship’s operators later engaged a towage provider to assist refloating the ship. Refloating efforts are still underway.”
The full extent of the damage to the ship’s hull is not yet known, but miraculously, no injuries have been reported. The ATSB has launched an investigation into the grounding, which is expected to take several months to complete.
In a heartbreaking development, this is not the first time the Coral Adventurer has been involved in a major incident. In October, 80-year-old Australian woman Suzanne Rees died on Lizard Island while on a day excursion. The cruise line was accused of leaving Rees on the island, unaware she had not returned to the ship.
The current voyage was due to conclude on December 30, but for now, the passengers and crew remain stranded, waiting for the tide to turn in their favour.
“We expect to release a preliminary report in about two months, with a final report detailing findings and safety recommendations at the conclusion of the investigation,” the ATSB said.