In October 2020, the Pacific Sun cruise ship was involved in an incident that caused it to be grounded off the coast of New Zealand. The incident occurred when the vessel experienced a mechanical failure and its propulsion system stopped working. As a result, the cruise ship was forced to drift in the open water until it eventually ran aground in shallow water near Great Barrier Island.
At the time of the incident, there were over 1,000 passengers and crew on board the Pacific Sun. The passengers and crew were evacuated safely back to shore and no injuries were reported.
The grounding of the Pacific Sun caused significant damage to both the vessel and its environment. Upon inspection, it was found that there were multiple breaches of hull plating along its bow and stern sections. Additionally, fuel had leaked from tanks on board the vessel which resulted in a large oil slick in the surrounding waters.
The New Zealand authorities took quick action by dispatching salvage teams to inspect and repair damage done to the Pacific Sun as well as dispersing oil-absorbing booms around its hull to prevent further environmental damage. After several weeks of repairs, divers managed to re-float the vessel and tow it back into port for further inspections by classification societies such as Lloyds Register of Shipping.
The New Zealand government conducted an extensive investigation into what had caused this incident with the Pacific Sun cruise ship. After careful consideration they concluded that a combination of human error, mechanical failure and poor weather conditions had led to this accident occurring.
The investigation also found that there had been a lack of maintenance on board which contributed significantly to this event occurring so soon after leaving port. As a result, more stringent safety regulations have been imposed by both local authorities as well as international maritime organizations such as IMO (International Maritime Organization).
In conclusion, what happened to the Pacific Sun Cruise Ship was an unfortunate event brought about by a combination of factors including human error and mechanical failure which resulted in significant environmental damage along with economic losses for those involved in this incident. Thankfully all passengers and crew onboard managed to make it back safely without injury or loss of life due to quick thinking from those involved – highlighting once again how crucial safety protocols are when dealing with vessels at sea.