Cruise ship Britons set to fly home

12 April 2012

All the British and Irish passengers on a cruise ship which hit an iceberg have now been flown out of the Antarctic region, the ship's owners said.

Twenty-four Britons and four Irish holidaymakers were among the ship's 86 passengers who have all now been flown from remote King George island in the South Shetlands to Chile.

The first group of 75 passengers and two staff from the M/S Explorer left the island on Saturday and the remaining 11 plus 66 crew were airlifted off on Sunday.

Some Britons have flown to the capital Santiago from where they will fly home.

Others remain in Punta Arenas, Chile's most southern city on the tip of South America.

Former merchant navy cook Mic Simpson, 70, from Bridport, Dorset, said water poured into his cabin after the iceberg tore a hole in the side of the ship which later sank.

"The water poured in and was freezing cold," he told The Sun.

"There had been a lot of banging through the night. I didn't think it was anything to worry about until my nephew said 'I think I can hear water running'.

"We turned on the light and the floor was wet. Water was gushing in at an alarming rate.

"Next minute the water was up to the level of the bed and was soaking through the mattress. I ran to raise the alarm."

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