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Bad day at school

per

Well-known member
My next door neighbors nephew was going to school on this tall ship. Ironically the kids grandmother was telling me all about it a couple of week ago.


Teacher says training helped students stay calm as Canadian ship sank
at 14:54 on February 20, 2010, EDT.
Keith Doucette, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Share|The relief was evident in the voice of one of the 64 people who survived the sinking of a Canadian sailing ship in rough seas off Brazil when she finally saw dry land Saturday.

A statue that is one of Rio de Janeiro's most visible symbols could be clearly seen by Ruth McArthur, who was standing on the deck of the merchant ship that rescued her.

"We're excited, we can see land and the big Jesus with his arms open," McArthur, 23, from Brampton, Ont., said in an interview from aboard the Philippine-flagged Hokuetsu Delight, as it sat in waters just outside the Brazilian city Saturday morning.

McArthur, who was a staff member aboard the SV Concordia, said she was teaching a biology class Wednesday when it became apparent that the ship was in serious trouble.

She said her students quickly dressed in immersion suits and all were able to get into life rafts as the vessel quickly rolled onto its side.

"It was pretty intense, but the students and the whole crew were very focused and they all did an excellent job by helping and supporting each other," said McArthur.

She said everyone remained calm and knew "what they had to do and where they needed to be."

"Instinctively the students and the crew knew what to do . . . and I think that's one of the reasons we were all able to get out of there safely."

McArthur said it wasn't very long before the life rafts moved away from the ship and "we were able to watch it go down."

"We then organized ourselves and made sure we had watches (lookouts) and water," she said. "We collected rain water as the rain fell around us and just prepared for a long stay in the life raft."

McArthur said although there were low points during the hours drifting at sea, morale remained high. She said everyone remained confident they would be found because of the frequency of shipping traffic in the area.

After clinging to the rafts for up to 40 hours they were plucked from the ocean early Friday by merchant ships.

McArthur, said it was too early to convey everything she was feeling after such a close brush with disaster.

"I'm still struggling to put that into actual words . . . I'm taking this time on board to try to figure that out so that when I go home I can express that to my family," she said. "It was very challenging to see the place where you woke up every day just go down in such a short period of time."

Meanwhile, at least 12 of the rescued docked earlier in Rio on a Brazilian navy ship.

The three-masted sailing vessel was on a five-month voyage that allows students in grades 11 and 12 and the first year of college to study while sailing around the world.

The ship's captain confirmed to The Associated Press that the vessel sank Wednesday - a full day earlier than previously reported.

Capt. William Curry said although the Concordia's crew had prepared the day before for what they anticipated would be rough weather, the ship suddenly keeled.

Curry, who was below deck at the time, said it immediately keeled again and he knew the vessel was in great danger.

He said when that happened the entire surface area of the ship's sails were exposed to the powerful wind and within 15 seconds the boat was lying on its side and beginning to sink. Curry said it slipped beneath the waves 30 minutes later.

The ship's radio equipment was submerged and was unusable, but Curry said an emergency beacon was automatically released into the water.

Sixteen-year-old student Lauren Unsworth told reporters that the first sign of rescue didn't occur until about 30 hours later when a search plane was spotted.

The Brazilian navy said the distress signal was picked up about 5 p.m. Thursday, and an air force plane later spotted life rafts in waters about 500 kilometres from Rio.

Forty-eight of those on the vessel were students, according to officials with West Island College International of Lunenburg, N.S., which operates the Class Afloat program.

Of that number 42 were from Canada, while others hail from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Europe and the West Indies.

Later Saturday Shelley Piller of Kenilworth, Ont., said she got the "phone call of a lifetime" when her 17-year-old stepdaughter Elysha was finally able to reach her family.

"We're absolutely thrilled, it was amazing to hear her voice," said Piller.

She said Elysha was shoeless, but unhurt after her long ordeal at sea.

"She said that she was really scared, she was cold, but she's okay now," said Piller. "I think she's still in shock and probably she's going to have a lot of tears and conversations with us when she gets home."

Piller said plans were in place for Elysha and others to fly home to Canada with an anticipated arrival of early Monday.

-With files from the Associated Press.
 

Soapweed

Well-known member
That is quite a story. Glad everyone came out okay. It will make interesting telling to their grandkids someday. :wink:
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
It's well that everyone involved knew what to do in time of emergency. glad they are all safe.

That is one experience that we would never worry about with our two, the plastic boats in the bathtub when they were small could make them seasick. That trait does come from their mother. :wink:
 
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