Watch: Crowded Ferry Capsizes in the Ocean While Sailing in the Bahamas
If you've taken a large cruise ship on a trip through the Caribbean islands, there's a good chance that your cruise liner didn't direcrly bring you to every destination. When cruise ships are too large to enter small ports or visit smaller private islands, their guests take tender boats and ferries to enjoy their onshore excursions.
It was on one of those ferries in the Bahamas that Kelly Schissel, along with dozens of other Royal Caribbean cruisers, was sailing on the morning of November 14. Unfortunately, the ferry would never make it to their destination. The crowded ferry quickly capsized and sank- a terrifying ordeal which Schissel captured on video.
Only two days before this horrifying- and ultimately fatal- incident, Kelly Schissel (aka @kellyswitz) posted a video of her Royal Caribbean ship, Independence of the Seas, setting off on its cruise, the sunset shining off of the blue waves. The stark contrast between that uplifting scene and what would soon follow is bitterly ironic.
On Tuesday morning, Kelly and her fellow cruisers were taking a ferry from the Port of Nassau to the nearby Blue Lagoon Island, a trip that should have been quick and easy. Unfortunately, this trip was anything but.
By the time Kelly began filming, the ferry was already noticeably leaning to one side and beginning to sink. Worry turned to panic as the ship lowered further in the water and leaned more dramatically, with terrified passengers cramming themselves up in the higher end of the boat. Eventually, though, the ship went down, and everybody ended up in the water.
According to CruiseHive.com, the ferry encountered unexpected rough seas on the way to the private island, causing it to take on water and eventually capsize. The waters where the ferry sank were only about 20 feet deep, leaving part of the top still sticking from the water. All guests had their life jackets, but tragically, a 75-year-old American tourist died during the wreck (though the exact cause of death has still not been determined).
What should have been an easy day of relaxing in the Bahamas rapidly turned into a true nightmare for the more than 100 people aboard. Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased, and we hope for future safe travels for Kelly Schissel and all the other passengers who endured this horrible accident.
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