A shocking video shared on social media shows a cruise ship’s emergency evacuation – and it’s left holidaymakers terrified. Cruise Spotting on TikTok (@cruise.spotting) shared a video of a liferaft being launched from the side of a boat.
The marine evacuation system (MES) is a lifesaving device found on many modern passenger ships or oil rigs, consisting of an inflatable slide or escape chute where a passenger can evacuate straight into waiting life rafts. They take up very little space on deck, positioned on the front of the embarkation deck and on the sides of the ship. MES also requires little time and effort to assemble, which is crucial in times of emergency.
The entire liferaft system unfurls and inflates within 90 seconds and then passengers can board. The tunnel contains air to create friction and provide a smooth descent.
It drops them several hundred feet into a raft that, on the inside, looks like a bouncy castle. Each unit can fit 150 people, so a four-unit system can save 600 lives.
The P&I Club’s website – a mutual insurance association that provides financial protection for shipowners and charterers against various liabilities – states that “these systems are designed to enable the rapid evacuation of a large number of people without requiring extensive training.”
One social media user said: “Oh look my two fears, drowning and claustrophobia, dancing together.” Another added: “New fear unlocked – getting trapped inside the liferaft if water gets inside.”
A cruise ship worker provided some context to panicked responders. They said the tunnel doesn’t hurt, and these liferafts are generally for staff, with passengers getting hard boats.
There hasn’t been a full evacuation of a cruise ship in some time. Some Brits were airlifted from a ship trapped off the coast of Florida as Hurricane Milton was about to hit.