Amver participating cruise ship rescues 70 in Alaska

The Amver participating cruise ship Volendam assisted in the rescue of 76 passengers from the sightseeing boat Baranof Wind after it struck a rock in Glacier Bay, Alaska and started taking on water on August 19, 2012. The Volendam embarked 70 passengers.

The Volendam, an Amver participant since it enrolled in 1999, is managed by Holland America Line and has earned 7 Amver awards for participation.

This rescue demonstrates the power of partnerships forged between Amver participants and the U.S. Coast Guard and serves as an example of how rescue efforts in the Arctic, or other areas with limited search and rescue resources, may be achieved using commercial ships.

It was another Holland America Line cruise ship, the Princendam, that caught fire in the Gulf of Alaska in 1980 and required the evacuation of all 520 passengers, many were rescued by Amver ships. Perhaps this was Holland America Line's way of paying safety forward.

Bravo Zulu to the crew of the Volendam for helping saves lives at sea!

Ship photo credit: Wikipedia
Baranof Wind photo credit: Holland America Line