One cruise ship passenger died and four others were injured after a large, unexpected wave hit a cruise ship traveling toward a popular launching point for expeditions to Antarctica, Viking Cruises said.
The ship, the Viking Polaris, was struck by a “rogue wave” on Tuesday at 10:40 p.m. local time while traveling toward Ushuaia, Argentina, which is on the southern tip of South America, Viking Cruises said in a statement.
Viking Cruises did not say how the passenger was killed or provide the passenger’s name or nationality. The four passengers who were injured were treated by onboard medical staff and had non-life-threatening injuries, Viking Cruises said.
Rogue waves are unpredictable, typically twice the size of surrounding waves and often come from a different direction than the surrounding wind and waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Scientists are still trying to figure out how and when these uncommon waves form.
Rogue Wave Strikes Cruise Ship, Killing a Passenger
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