A doctor aboard a 150-year-old schooner died Monday morning when the ship’s mainmast broke under sail and he collapsed on the deck off the coast of Maine.
The Grace Bailey, a 118-foot windjammer that operates tours in waters off Maine, was returning from a four-day voyage with 33 people aboard when the mast broke, its owner said in a statement.
A tow truck service rushed to the scene about a mile from Rockland Harbor and arrived to find people performing CPR on a victim.
Emily Mecklenburg, 40, a Rockland doctor, was later pronounced dead, while three other people were rushed to the hospital with head, spinal and crush injuries.
A lifeguard said he saw someone trapped under the fallen mast.
“It’s an unforeseen circumstance,” said Charlie Weidman, owner of Charlie’s Marine Service and the first person to reach the schooner after the accident.
“No one trains to break a giant mast on a schooner. Everyone acted with professionalism. “Everyone was doing the best they could with the gifts they had.”
Weidman towed the ship to Rockland Harbor, where one of the victims was airlifted out.
The 118-foot Grace Bailey was towed into Rockland Harbor after the mast snapped under sail. One passenger died. Dr. Emily Mecklenburg, 40, died when the Grace Bailey’s mainmast broke on Monday.
The Coast Guard is investigating what caused the breakage. Authorities noted that conditions were calm and windless when the accident occurred.
“We want to make sure that the investigation is being done thoroughly and that the necessary boxes are being checked,” Coast Guard Ensign Matthew Bartnick said Tuesday.
Although the Grace Bailey was built in 1882, like many other tall ships operating off the coast of New England, she has been renovated many times over the years.
Almost all of the wooden planks have been replaced over the life of the ship and the mast that broke was not the original, said a spokeswoman for the ship, Nicole Jacques.
Built in 1882, the Grace Bailey conducts sightseeing tours off the coast of Maine. She has been renovated many times.
The ship’s owners also said they had no idea why the mast broke.
“My crew and I are devastated by this morning’s accident, especially as the safety of our guests is always our highest priority,” said ship captain Sam Sikkema.
“Most importantly, we are beyond heartbroken to have lost a dear friend.”
Dr. Mecklenburg worked for the MaineHealth system, primarily at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockland.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn