Passengers tell of chaos on stricken liner

Press, 21 November 1981, Page 9

Passengers tell of chaos on stricken liner

Some crewmen on the Duren cniise snip Prmsendam grabbeo the'first seats on lifeboats abandoning passengers on tne nurmng vessel tnat sank oft tne coast ot Aias.Ka last year, witnesses testified yesteraav. The first mree days of evidence before the ninememoer Maritime Board had 1 given no him. of disorderly behaviour. But today the board chairman, Rosen Jacooson, said passengers had complained in questionnaires tilled out after tneir rescue tnai tne evacuation hao. been chaotic, passengers and crew enaing up in boats wnere they aid not belong The buhli-mn Prinsendam was four days out or Vancouver headed for Glacier Bay on a Far East cruise wnen tne engine room fire broke out on October 3. 1980. As attempts to stop rhe fire irom spreading failed, the master'gave the order for the 319 passengers, most of wnom were Americans, and some of the 204-memner crew to leave the snip. They were all picked up by rescue vessels.

The Third Mate. Pam Weilmg said: "A group of >i? enter'ainers from New yorx wno had given shows in the snip's theatre, forced their wav into tne first boa) to oe launched, although the hoa' list assigned them to anotnei boai. “Also, some Indonesian and F'lipino crew, members took places reserved tor passengers, out there was no way 1 coula gel them or the entertainers to corne back on board. I had no gun.” The snip s master, Cantain Kees Wabeke, said similar incidents occurred during the embarkation of the ships otner five lifeboats and some passengers had to leave tne ship in tne ruooer ratts ae signaled tor crew. "There was some disorder,” Captain Wabeke conceded. But, "unaer tne cir cumstances. the operation was successful on the wnoie " By 2 a.m. on October 5 all passengers and crew had been accounted for, he said The cripoied Prinsenaam sank on October 11 after an unsuccessful bid to tow it to safety.