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'Radiance' Rescue

Aired June 17, 2003 - 13:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A dramatic rescue in raging seas off British Columbia. Wait until you see these pictures. The cruise ship, Radiance of the Seas, was a lifeline for three fishermen whose boat was sinking.
The story now from Samantha Shaski (ph) of Global TV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): With winds whipping at more than 100 kilometers an hour, three men desperately cling to their sinking fishing boat. The crew sent out a distress call at 5:00 a.m., after the 25-meter Silver Bounty started taking on water.

CAPT. KENT RINGBORN, RADIANCE OF THE SEAS: Suddenly, they realized that water came into the engine room and it was rising. And they started to pump, of course. And they pumped and pumped and the water came more and more and more, so that it didn't help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The ship was sinking by the second, and as the waves pounded against them, waiting for help was their only option. Their life raft had already been snatched away by the high seas.

RINGBORN: We came as soon as possible. But then we got the information, we were only 23 or 24 miles off, so we were quite close.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Still, it took the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Radiance of the Seas, almost an hour to reach the scene. And despite the dangerously rough ocean and high winds, the captain immediately sent a boat in to save them.

FREDRIK MALSBERG, RADIANCE OF THE SEAS: When we got to the scene, they were jumping in the sea when they saw that the rescuers were on their way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (on camera): They were swimming towards the boat.

MALSBERG: Yes. And when we pulled them out, I pulled out the youngest guy first, and then I went to pull out the captain, but the captain said take the other crew. So, he was very professional and he wanted us to bring him out last.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Luckily the men had been wearing protective suits, which kept them warm in waters that are only about 10 degrees Celsius. The three were brought on board and treated for mild hypothermia and then eventually dropped off at the Coast Guard station near Port Hardy. Rescued were Skipper Dave Willis (ph) from Courtney (ph), seen here in the middle, and Tanner Jerry (ph) and Robert Ward (ph) from Prince Rupert, seen on either side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a wonderful feeling to be able to rescue people and save lives. But that's very good that actually all of the training and putting in practice that you can put it in use.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Passengers disembarking from the one-week cruise couldn't say enough about the heroic crew.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a conference given on the ship yesterday afternoon, and the captain had a standing ovation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, and the rescuers as well, so, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It was actually a great atmosphere on the ship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely marvelous that the ship happened to be in the right place at the right time. And we all wondered what happened. The ship came to a sudden stop. But when we realized that three lives were saved, we felt good. That was excellent, yes. Three happy families somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hours later when this cold water and their brush with death were just a bad memory, the fishermen met with their rescuers and looked at pictures of how lucky they really were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice guys. We made friends forever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: What an absolutely incredible story. We salute those rescuers and, of course, Skipper, what tremendous courage and honor you have, especially with regard to how you treated your crew. That report by Samantha Shaski (ph) of Global TV.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired June 17, 2003 - 13:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A dramatic rescue in raging seas off British Columbia. Wait until you see these pictures. The cruise ship, Radiance of the Seas, was a lifeline for three fishermen whose boat was sinking.
The story now from Samantha Shaski (ph) of Global TV.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): With winds whipping at more than 100 kilometers an hour, three men desperately cling to their sinking fishing boat. The crew sent out a distress call at 5:00 a.m., after the 25-meter Silver Bounty started taking on water.

CAPT. KENT RINGBORN, RADIANCE OF THE SEAS: Suddenly, they realized that water came into the engine room and it was rising. And they started to pump, of course. And they pumped and pumped and the water came more and more and more, so that it didn't help.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The ship was sinking by the second, and as the waves pounded against them, waiting for help was their only option. Their life raft had already been snatched away by the high seas.

RINGBORN: We came as soon as possible. But then we got the information, we were only 23 or 24 miles off, so we were quite close.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Still, it took the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Radiance of the Seas, almost an hour to reach the scene. And despite the dangerously rough ocean and high winds, the captain immediately sent a boat in to save them.

FREDRIK MALSBERG, RADIANCE OF THE SEAS: When we got to the scene, they were jumping in the sea when they saw that the rescuers were on their way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (on camera): They were swimming towards the boat.

MALSBERG: Yes. And when we pulled them out, I pulled out the youngest guy first, and then I went to pull out the captain, but the captain said take the other crew. So, he was very professional and he wanted us to bring him out last.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Luckily the men had been wearing protective suits, which kept them warm in waters that are only about 10 degrees Celsius. The three were brought on board and treated for mild hypothermia and then eventually dropped off at the Coast Guard station near Port Hardy. Rescued were Skipper Dave Willis (ph) from Courtney (ph), seen here in the middle, and Tanner Jerry (ph) and Robert Ward (ph) from Prince Rupert, seen on either side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a wonderful feeling to be able to rescue people and save lives. But that's very good that actually all of the training and putting in practice that you can put it in use.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Passengers disembarking from the one-week cruise couldn't say enough about the heroic crew.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a conference given on the ship yesterday afternoon, and the captain had a standing ovation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, and the rescuers as well, so, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It was actually a great atmosphere on the ship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely marvelous that the ship happened to be in the right place at the right time. And we all wondered what happened. The ship came to a sudden stop. But when we realized that three lives were saved, we felt good. That was excellent, yes. Three happy families somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hours later when this cold water and their brush with death were just a bad memory, the fishermen met with their rescuers and looked at pictures of how lucky they really were.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice guys. We made friends forever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: What an absolutely incredible story. We salute those rescuers and, of course, Skipper, what tremendous courage and honor you have, especially with regard to how you treated your crew. That report by Samantha Shaski (ph) of Global TV.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.