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Shipwrecked pair arrive back home | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A husband and wife from Shropshire who were rescued from a cruise ship which sank in the Antarctic have talked of their relief to be back home. | A husband and wife from Shropshire who were rescued from a cruise ship which sank in the Antarctic have talked of their relief to be back home. |
Avid explorers Brian and Gillian Lee were on the M/S Explorer when it began taking on water on Friday. | Avid explorers Brian and Gillian Lee were on the M/S Explorer when it began taking on water on Friday. |
They and other passengers were rescued on Saturday after waiting in lifeboats. | They and other passengers were rescued on Saturday after waiting in lifeboats. |
Speaking from their home in Oakengates, Telford, Mrs Lee, 63, said events had not sunk in yet and it felt like a "fairy story". | |
The couple were among 154 tourists - 24 of them British - and crew to be rescued near the South Shetland Islands. | The couple were among 154 tourists - 24 of them British - and crew to be rescued near the South Shetland Islands. |
We are relieved to be back, well, until we do something else. We love travelling Brian Lee | We are relieved to be back, well, until we do something else. We love travelling Brian Lee |
Still dressed in her holiday clothes, Mrs Lee said: "I walked through the door and did what I usually do when I come back from a holiday. | Still dressed in her holiday clothes, Mrs Lee said: "I walked through the door and did what I usually do when I come back from a holiday. |
"It feels like a fairy story. It doesn't feel like it has really happened." | "It feels like a fairy story. It doesn't feel like it has really happened." |
Mr Lee, 68, added: "We are relieved to be back, well, until we do something else. We love travelling." | Mr Lee, 68, added: "We are relieved to be back, well, until we do something else. We love travelling." |
The tour group had embarked from Ushuaia, on Argentina's southern tip, on 11 November for a 19-day "Spirit of Shackleton" cruise. | The tour group had embarked from Ushuaia, on Argentina's southern tip, on 11 November for a 19-day "Spirit of Shackleton" cruise. |
The ship's passengers and crew waited in lifeboats for several hours | The ship's passengers and crew waited in lifeboats for several hours |
The ship ran into trouble approximately 120km (75 miles) north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is thought it hit an iceberg. | The ship ran into trouble approximately 120km (75 miles) north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is thought it hit an iceberg. |
Describing the moment they realised the ship was in difficulty, Mrs Lee said they were awoken by the sound of a bell and tried to grab as much as they could. | Describing the moment they realised the ship was in difficulty, Mrs Lee said they were awoken by the sound of a bell and tried to grab as much as they could. |
The captain then called for everyone to "abandon ship" and people made their way to the lifeboats where they waited for about five hours to be rescued by a passing liner. | The captain then called for everyone to "abandon ship" and people made their way to the lifeboats where they waited for about five hours to be rescued by a passing liner. |
After being given warm clothes and food they sailed to the sparsely populated King George Island before being transferred to Chile. | After being given warm clothes and food they sailed to the sparsely populated King George Island before being transferred to Chile. |
The couple, who are semi-retired, said up until that point their trip had been "fantastic". | |
They still intend to travel to the US later in the year and holiday in India next year. |
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