Here is the brand new MSC Fantasia, in Palma de Mallorca Spain, when the bollards failed due to high wind load on the ship and mooring lines, sending them flying. What a fascinating sight to see. A passenger was thrown in the water and four dedicated crew jump in after him. Good on them.
MSC Fantasia crew rewarded for bravery Tuesday, 10 Mar 2009 11:05, Travel bites
Four crew members who came to the aid of an overboard passenger on MSC Fantasia cruise ship are to be officially commended by the Spanish port authorities and government.
Following an incident at the port of Palma de Mallorca on Thursday March 5th a passenger of Egyptian origin with Italian nationality, believed to be over 80-years-of-age, fell into the water.
Four members of the crew dived in to help the man, who was brought to shore and taken to hospital, where he is currently under observation.
The four crew members include: Caso Salvatore (chief crew steward), Naim Samsudin (able fireman), Andrian O'Williams (housekeeping cleaner) and Faamoe Lalopua (able sailor).
All four will be recognised by authorities of Palma de Mallorca, the city mayor, a delegate of the central government in Mallorca and MSC Cruises for their bravery and heroism.
The accident happened as MSC Fantasia was moored and passengers were disembarking in Mallorca. The ship was exposed to strong winds causing three bow mooring bitts to become detached simultaneously.
As a result, the ship moved away from the dock, causing a disembarking guest to fall into the water. The port authorities have accepted responsibility for the accident.
The crew members were also taken to hospital for a check-up and all four have since returned to work on the ship, which continued to cruise to its next destination as usual.
Chris O'Toole
MSC Fantasia Owner: MSC Cruises Operator: MSC Cruises Flag: Panama Builder: STX Europe, St. Nazaire, France Christened: 18 December 2008 by Sophia Loren Class and type: Fantasia-class cruise ship Tonnage: 133,500 GT (gross tonnage) Length: 333.30 m (1,093 ft 6 in) Beam: 37.90 m (124 ft 4 in) Draught: 4.45 m (14 ft 7 in) Decks: 13 passenger decks, 18 total[citation needed] Propulsion: Diesel engines, 40 mW Speed: 2 propellers Capacity: 3,959 passengers Crew: 1,313 crew
