| Event type: | Meeting |
| Date: | 19th October 2023 |
| Venue: | Kenilworth Methodist Church |
A Talk by Georgie Hale
Georgie Hale gave us a masterclass in presenting a dramatic sea rescue with no notes or visual aids. It was in 2001 that Georgie’s husband, Clive, was diagnosed with incurable blood cancer. A devastating shock but both Georgie and Clive wanted to roam the world on adventurous excursions while time allowed. Their first trip on MV Explorer was in 2006 when they went to East Greenland. It was evident from the travel company’s kit list that this was not a luxury cruise but an expedition. Their second trip on the same ship was in 2007 – this time to Antarctica via Argentina, the Falkland Isles and South Georgia where they met the adorable. friendly King Penguins. At Elephant Island they boarded inflatable boats to view enormous icebergs that had broken away from Antarctica. The next day they set off very early in MV Explorer towards Antarctica. Georgie described the eery scene of the ship travelling fast through the ice, listening to the cracking as the ice parted and watching the ship’s spotlights sweeping the ice scanning the way forward.
A siren suddenly sounded with a command for all passengers to go to the muster stations immediately. The passengers were told that a large shard of ice had punctured the ship’s hull. The crew were plugging the hole with bed linen and pumping out the sea water when another disaster struck the ship - it was hit by a large iceberg. The ship started to list and the Captain ordered ‘Abandon Ship’. Lifeboats and inflatables were lowered into the sea with the 90 passengers plus the crew on board. Georgie remarked that although it was very scary there was no panic.
Fortunately, the Captain had managed to send out a May Day signal for help which was picked up in Rome, though the rescue operation was co-ordinated from Cornwall. After 4 1/2 hours in the lifeboats a tiny light was spotted in the far distance which gradually grew as it got nearer. It was a cruise ship which had been diverted to help in the rescue. The passengers and crew were thrown rope ladders in order to climb up the hull of the rescue ship. Once safely on board they watched MV Explorer gradually sink beneath the waves. Georgie described the spectacle as the saddest thing she had ever seen. With help from many different countries and organisations the passengers were returned to their home countries with Georgie and Clive returning to the UK. Sadly, Clive passed away in 2009. Georgie was excellent in describing her ordeal - a memorable talk.