Community | October 29, 2012 | 21 comments

HMS Bounty sinks - Bounty crew member's body found, captain still missing

source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/10/29/ns-hms-bounty-hurricane-sandy.html

Image
Hardytoo

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/10/29/ns-hms-bou...

HMS Bounty, a replica of the original and one of the tall ships, sank off Cape Hatteras, this morning. The Captain took the vessel further out to sea, to avoid the edge of Hurricane Sandy, and began to be swamped in 5.5 meter seas. Captain still missing and presumed drowned. The ship was originally built for the 1962 Marlin Brando movie, The Bounty, and later became a "school at sea." She was built in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia in 1961.
_______________________________________________

Bounty crew member's body found, captain still missing
3 crew members washed overboard in stormy seas


HMS Bounty sinks in storm2:362 missing from Bounty crew6:06
The U.S. Coast Guard says it has recovered the body of a woman from the HMS Bounty replica sinking.

Claudene Christian, 42, was located by an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter Monday evening and her body was taken to Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City, N.C.

Two crew members of the Nova Scotia-built replica vessel were missing after abandoning ship off the coast of North Carolina in high seas brought on by Hurricane Sandy.

The search for Robin Walbridge, captain of the ship, continues.

Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard told CBC News the 16-member crew of the Bounty decided to abandon ship after getting caught in 5.5-metre seas off Cape Hatteras on Monday.

Three crew members were washed overboard as they tried to get to two covered life-rafts, said the U.S. Coast Guard. Only one of the three members made it to the life-raft and was among the 14 people hoisted onto helicopters.

Coast guard officials said the two missing crew members — a man and a woman — were believed to be in cold water survival suits and life-jackets. They said the air search is being plotted based on wind direction and speed, and will be expanded.

Claudia McCann, whose husband Robin Walbridge is the captain of the Bounty, told CBC News her husband was one of the two missing crew members.

The Bounty sank several hours after the evacuation.

The U.S. Coast Guard was originally told 17 people were on the Bounty, but now say 16 people were on board. Officials have spoken to all 14 survivors and say they're all "in good shape."

A U.S. Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter arrived on scene at approximately 6:30 a.m. and hoisted five people from the life-rafts. A second helicopter arrived later and rescued nine more people.

More at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/10/29/ns-hms-bounty-hurrica...
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Culture,   Random,   7 more
  2. tags:
    Hurricane Sandy,  tall ships,  Sea School,  Bottom of the sea
  3.     
    |

21 comments // HMS Bounty sinks - Bounty crew member's body found, captain still missing

  • jmarkred
    • +1
      jmarkred  

    • This is the first chance I've had to read the article - I saw an article previously that had said the ship was in trouble, but it's sad to learn of the loss of life as a result of the storm. Thanks for posting it, Hardytoo. Stay safe, everyone.

    • 7 months ago
  • JustZ
    • +4
      JustZ  

    • While living in St Pete Beach, Florida my wife and I had an opportunity to sail with several members of The Bounty's rotating crew. I'll say this, these folks are not your run of the mill day sailors. They're as hard core as it comes, and certainly better than most at weathering the Atlantic's extreme storms.

      However, The Bounty was in dire need of repairs when I went aboard her a few years ago while she was moored in downtown St. Petersburg. So much so, I always worried for her crew that she was no longer capable of weathering a big storm.

      Our hearts go out to the families of the lost crew members.

    • 7 months ago
  • Hardytoo
    • +1
      Hardytoo  
    • JustZ:

      Thanks for telling us about your amazing experience. Was reading last night that the Bounty had been in dry-dock in Maine, where many repairs had been completed. She set sail from Connecticut (I think last week), on her way to a tall-ships "festival" in your area.
      I know that the sailors aboard were extremely well experienced, and were doing what was best to get as far out to sea as possible, to skirt the storm. Pumps failed.
      She was a great ship, many will remember also her "appearance" in "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies.

    • 7 months ago
  • chew_chew
  • VFORVENDETTA
  • northernexpat
    • +5
      northernexpat  

    • This is a shame. I'm glad that at least most of the crew members were found safe and alive. I do question with all the advance notice of the approaching storm why that they didn't either leave earlier or dry dock it.

    • 7 months ago
  • remanns
  • artemis6
  • Argon18
  • Hardytoo
  • Leen61
  • Hardytoo
    • +7
      Hardytoo  
    • Leen61:

      They were trying to go further out; found themselves in southern waters, did the only thing they could to avoid. Unfortunately they couldn't move fast enough.

    • 7 months ago
  • Leen61
  • attilatheblond
  • attilatheblond
    • +7
      attilatheblond  
    • Leen61:

      Ships in harbors become battering rams in bad storms. And the harbors are full of danger for ships tossed about. They generally put out to sea ahead of storms. Much safer. So says my salty ol Coastie (and naval historian) brother

    • 7 months ago
  • Leen61
  • remanns
  • Hardytoo
  • HarukoHaruhara
  • HarukoHaruhara
  • attilatheblond
    • +5
      attilatheblond  
    • HarukoHaruhara:

      Ships always put out to sea ahead of bad storms bearing down on coastal regions. They are not safe in port when the ports are under attack by high seas and winds. Safer out in open water where there is less chance of being hit by projectiles in rough seas, or even becoming a projectile in a savaged harbor.

      Harbors trap the energy of the high seas in these kinds of storms. Open water with nothing to crash into is safer. They just have to leave port soon enough to get far enough out to try to avoid the worst of the high seas.

    • 7 months ago
more from Community:
from the community

top videos