26-Foot Wave Hits Cruise Ship in Mediterranean, Kills Two

A deadly 26-foot wave hit a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea on Wednesday. The 26-foot tall wave smashed into the cruise ship and killed two of the passengers on board. There were six additional people that were injured during the freak incident, with the boat docking in Barcelona shortly after it took place. Sometimes the seas can be very unforgiving and present extremely surprising waves, and this appears to be a case where the ship was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. To put in it a little perspective, a 26-foot wave would envelop most two-story houses in the United States with very little effort.

There are conflicting reports on where the 26-foot wave struck the cruise ship, but the Associated Press is reporting that the Greek coast guard stated that the accident occurred near the French Mediterranean port of Marseille. The ship was on a trip to Barcelona, but decided to head on to Genoa instead when bad weather hit. After the wave hit the cruise ship, they then proceeded to make an emergency stop in Barcelona anyways. The Associated Press also reportedthat winds were blowing at speeds of more than 60 miles per hour at the time that the wave hit the cruise ship, showing just how rough the seas may have been at the time.

This is really a freak occurrence that the wave broke on the cruise ship like this, and it also shows just how much damage that a wave can do even on the open seas. Most experts will state that the best way to prepare for a Tsunami is to get all ships out of port and on to open water to best prepare for a big wave. While the ebb and flow of the water can create peaks and valleys in the ocean as well as the Mediterranean Sea, it is very rare for a wave this huge to hit a cruise ship in this manner. We say rare, because obviously it can happen if the weather and the sea have created the wrong circumstances for a ship to withstand.

Reference:

AP Article