by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:10 PM ET, Tue May 30, 2023
A cruise ship sailing off the coast of South Carolina was stuck
in a massive storm that tossed the vessel and terrified passengers.
According to NBCNews.com,
Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine was returning to port in Charleston
after a five-day voyage to the Bahamas when the storm hit Friday evening. While
the ship reached port nine hours after expected arrival, it was able to sail its
next planned voyage, although delayed a short time.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm surge lasted 12
hours, winds reached 80 miles per hour and swells reached 17 feet tall. At the
time of the storm, the massive ship was carrying around 3,000 passengers and
over 1,000 crew members.
One of the passengers onboard Carnival Sunshine, William
Blackburn, told CNN
that the situation was “terrifying,” and that he and his family stayed in their
cabin and prayed throughout the storm.
Video from Twitter corroborated the tales from passengers on
the Carnival vessel.
Another traveler on the ship, Bill Hassler, told CNN he was
surprised he was still alive, saying that other passengers were “white as
ghosts” due to the rough seas. Hassler said water filled the hallways and the
waves threw items around the ship.
A spokesperson for Carnival told CBS News that several passengers
and crew members needed minimal medical assistance, but guests onboard were
safe throughout the incident.
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