by Passengers aboard the Viking Polaris cruise ship, which was struck by a “rogue wave” during a voyage to Antarctica, killing an American woman, now say a “wall of seawater” came on the ship.
Sheri Zhu, 62, has been identified by ABC News as the person who died in last Tuesday’s incident, citing Ushuaia Federal Court Clerk Melina Rodriguez. The ship was en route to Ushuaia, Argentina, when it was hit, and Fox News Digital has reached out to the government there for further comment.
“If someone had told me we hit an iceberg, I would have believed them,” Tamarah Castaneda, a passenger on the Polaris from San Diego, told ABC’s Good Morning America.
“The windows fell in, that’s when this wall of seawater came in,” she added. “Beds were pushed against the doors so they couldn’t leave their rooms.”
US WOMAN KILLED WHEN ‘ROGUE WAVE’ DRUNK A CRUISE SHIP TO ANTARCTICA
The Norwegian flag Viking Polaris ship is seen anchored in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean December 1, 2022 in Ushuaia, southern Argentina. – One person was killed and four other passengers.
(ALEXIS DELELISI/AFP via Getty Images)
California’s Beverly Spiker also told ABC News that a “huge hit” to the window of the cabin where she and her husband were staying shattered the frame, adding, “A lot of water shot in.”
The incident reportedly happened around 10:40 p.m. local time as the ship was sailing through the Drake Passage – a crossing between the southern tip of South America and Antarctica, known for its rough waters.
Waves crash alongside the Viking Polaris cruise ship as it recently sailed in the Drake Passage.
(Ann Clark Mah)
Argentinian authorities said the woman who died was hit by broken glass as the wave shattered the cabin windows. The ship suffered only limited damage and reached Ushuaia, 1,926 miles south of Buenos Aires, the next day.
“It is with great sadness that we have confirmed that a guest has passed away following the incident,” Viking Cruises said in a statement. “We have notified the guest’s family and share our deepest sympathy.”
The Norwegian-flagged cruise ship Viking Polaris (left) and the Quark Expeditions-chartered ship MV World Explorer dock at Ushuaia in southern Argentina December 1, 2022.
(ALEXIS DELELISI/AFP via Getty Images)
Four injured passengers were treated on board the ship by a doctor and medical staff for non-life-threatening injuries, the company said.
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Rogue waves, also known as “extreme storm waves” by scientists, are more than twice the size of the surrounding waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and often come unexpectedly from directions other than the prevailing wind and waves.
Fox News and Associated Press’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
