Three Passengers Airlifted Off Holland America Cruise Ship
The Holland America Ryndam cruise ship came within three miles of shore off Miami on Thursday so
that three passengers could be airlifted off the ship due to suspected accidents on the cruise ship. It
was unclear whether the three passengers were injured in the same accident. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
reported that one of the cruise ship accident victims suffered a leg injury, and another suffered a head
injury. The third person is reported to have suffered a heart condition.
WSVN/Channel 7 in Miami reported that Miami Dade Fire Rescue Captain Ignatius Carroll commented
that calls like the one from the Holland America cruise, where three people need to be airlifted off the
ship, are rare. Captain Ignatius questioned what actually took place on the ship for three people to have
suffered such serious medical conditions that they were required to be airlifted off the ship for injuries.
It is possible the weather off the Florida coast on Thursday contributed to the accidents. A series of
strong wind and thunderstorms moved through Florida Thursday afternoon. The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that winds as high as 15 to 25 knots, with seas from 6-10
feet, could be expected off the Florida Coast. The winds today and Wednesday are forecasted to be
even stronger, with seas in the 6-10 foot range.
The Ryndam is a 720’ ship that holds 1,258 passengers, and 600 crew members. The three passengers
being airlifted off the Ryndam is not the first time the Ryndam has made headlines. During its initial
cruising season in Alaska, the ship had a fire in one of its storage lockers as it was docking in Juneau,
Alaska. In November 2010 a passenger that had too much to drink was able to release the ship’s anchor
while it was cruising toward Florida, and in 2007 the ship had a norovirus outbreak.
Holland America Cruise Lines, and the Ryndam, are owned by Carnival Cruise Lines. If you’re injured on
the Ryndam or any other Holland America cruise ship, your ticket contract requires that your claim can
only be brought in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. Carnival
Cruise Line has a similar ticket provision that requires all injury lawsuits to be filed in the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami.