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5 Dead in Canary Islands as Cruise Ship Drill Goes Awry

Lifeboat fell from British-flagged vessel, injured 3

By the Associated Press

Posted Feb 10, 2013 9:35 AM CST

(AP) – Spanish officials say five people have been killed and three injured when a lifeboat fell into the sea off a cruise ship that was tied up at the port of Santa Cruz in the Canary Islands. A government statement said rescue personnel were called dockside at 7:05am EST today after "a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship docked at the pier of Santa Cruz port in La Palma." The BBC adds that the ship involved was the British-flagged Thomsen vessel Majesty, and that those killed were crew members participating in a safety drill. Britain's Foreign Office said it was "urgently investigating" the incident.

A Cypriot-owned cruise ship sits in Barcelona's port in this March 4, 2010, file photo.
A Cypriot-owned cruise ship sits in Barcelona's port in this March 4, 2010, file photo.   (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 14 comments
HANKHILL
Feb 11, 2013 4:08 PM CST
train like you fight!!!!!!!!!!!
homer57
Feb 10, 2013 8:12 PM CST
After 33 years at sea in the navy, I can tell you accidents do happen!  they just do, and human error is usually a fault of many!  That is just the way it is, and will always be!  You practive to get it perfect and right but, again accidents do happen! Still it is still safer sailing than it is in a car or truck!  I'd rather be at sea than anywhere else.  Just have to be safe!!
logicaldood
Feb 10, 2013 4:41 PM CST
If this can happen to my sister when she goes on a cruise this summer...

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