Dramatic Images: Grandmother Dropped Into Icy Arctic Waters During Botched Rescue Attempt

Posted on April 22, 2011 at 5:45pm by Emily Esfahani Smith
Print »
Email »

Emergency crews dropped a 73-year-old British woman into freezing Arctic waters in a botched rescue attempt.

The woman, who was on a cruise off the coast of Norway with her husband, became sick with internal bleeding on the cruise boat. The ship’s captain called a rescue boat to come and take the woman away to a hospital–but the rescue effort did not go as planned.

The elderly woman was dropped into the icy waters—where she remained for, reportedly, eight minutes.

Here you see the woman submerged in the water, trying to grab a hold of something:

A closer shot:

In the image below, the arrow indicates where the woman was in the water—in other words, very far from the boat.

Fox News reports on this story:

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (42)

Eyeball
Posted on April 26, 2011 at 1:29am
Cruises are over-rated. Too crowded. Too many kids.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
nhrider
Posted on April 25, 2011 at 10:38am
Good thing she wasn’t tied down when they did this…
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
spiritualsunshine
Posted on April 24, 2011 at 5:16am
How horrible! Saying a prayer for her recovery!
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
CloudNine
Posted on April 23, 2011 at 10:53pm
Did she die from the illness she had before they dropped her in the water or was it a combination of the original affliction exasperated by the swing in the sea?
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
The Bagginator
Posted on April 23, 2011 at 4:33pm
“Give it up, Granny. Next time we’ll waterboard you.”
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
Conkuur
Posted on April 23, 2011 at 2:31pm
Sad, pray for her family.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
AAGJMB
Posted on April 23, 2011 at 12:59pm
She died in hospital earlier today.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
OLDBIKEFIXER
Posted on April 23, 2011 at 10:39am
Brrr… That’ll wake you up!
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
OLDBIKEFIXER
Posted on April 23, 2011 at 10:38am
Brrr…
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
Lt_Taz
Posted on April 23, 2011 at 9:39am
And can we assume the surface of the water was calm with a glasslike surface at the time of the transfer attempt, can we have the entire story please.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
clingingtogodandguns
Posted on April 23, 2011 at 6:53am
union workers obviously they were on their 3 rd break that hour, what else do you expect.Come on granny fend for yourself.If we just paid more that wouldn’t happen!!!!
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
COFemale
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 9:17pm
Okay encinom cut the grandma is gonna die, not eat, go to the doctor crap. I am a grandma and I am doing just fine; I have a job. This is nothing more than fear mongering of the left saying everyone who doesn’t get a government hand out is gonna perish. Bull Crap!

It is time to cut the fat from the government, lets start with you encinom… what the hell kind of name is that anyway?
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
Ricky A. Patriotson
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 9:09pm
TO:encinom
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:35pm
Great metaphor for the Paul Ryan budget, I mean his plan is t odrop and let fend for themselves the sick, the poor, the huddled masses. He want granny to fend for herself with regards to healthcare, she has no need for medicare, private insurance is going to start having hearts and cover the over 60 crowd.

REPLY: Are you just stupid or do you work at it? Pull your head out of the media sand and step into the real world and get the true facts before you spout off, it is idiots like you that will drive this nation into the dust following Obowtome.

That’s all I have to say to that @$$.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
Beckfan682000
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 8:18pm
Is there an update to see how she is?
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
thegreatcarnac
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 7:10pm
The good news is that…before she fell her old breasts had dropped past her kneecaps…but the water was so cold , that when she emerged.., her breast shrank to that of an 18 yr. olds.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
GadsdenGurl
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 7:00pm
Actually the cold should have triggered a response that would help stop the bleeding but the shock may have been too much for her at her age.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
BOMUSTGO
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:53pm
I thought there was no such thing as gravity????
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
chiefparker
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:15pm
The outstanding professionalism we’re use to seeing is eroding along with society.
What we’re not told is that “break time” came during the transfer.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
bikerr
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:12pm
Do you think the cold slowed her internal bleeding?
Report Post » Log in to ReplyReply
- chiefparker
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:19pm
  Yes, dumb luck, but I’d rather be lucky than good.
  Report Post »
Professional Infidel
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:06pm
Opps, sorry mam. yea it’s free. you called us!!
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
mrsmileyface
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:05pm
Now if she was one of those so called “drowning polar bears” Al Gore would of rescued her immediatly.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
FansLogonDOTcom
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:05pm
What a sad story. I’m trying to understand how a “rescue boat” drops her into the water and then leaves her there – literally freezing – for 7 or 8 minutes before getting her out.
– Was this their first rescue attempt?
– Isn‘t there a rescue chopper that could’ve handled this instead of a boat (bouncing around in the water while she has internal bleeding)?

I hope she fully recovers from this nightmare.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
pork eating crusader
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:02pm
hopefully next time they will have someone in a survival suit ready for something like this.
Report Post » Log in to Reply Reply
crackerone
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 5:58pm
Think I’d rather have the little blue pill.
Report Post » Log in to ReplyReply
- CatB
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:07pm
  I remember being told that Eskimos put the old on the ice and they float off to sea … don’t know if it is true .. but I would not be surprised to find it in Obamacare.
  Report Post »
- crackerone
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:51pm
  @ENISCAB
  
  The little blue pill is Obama’s answer to health care you moron!
  Report Post »
- BIGJAYINPA
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:57pm
  CATB
  They put them on the ice and Nanook the Ice Bear ate them. That is why Nanook is special to the Innuit. As for your loser a** ENCINOM I think the Ice Bear would turn his nose up at your rancid a**.
  Report Post »
CatB
Posted on April 22, 2011 at 5:53pm
This should make anyone think twice about cruising … I have heard too many horror stories.
Report Post » Log in to ReplyReply
- Professional Infidel
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:05pm
  Dry Land. the lord is terribly unforgiving when your in the air or at sea!!!
  Report Post »
- thinkinghuman
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:05pm
  “Reportedly not doing well…”
  
  Last month, in “frigid” 50 degree POOL WATER, I reached in to take the leaves out of the skimmer basket. 20 seconds and my hand ached, had to stop. Can only IMAGINE what this woman went through in 32 degree water full body frigid. I bet it really helped that she felt horrible BEFORE she ever got dropped into that water. What a nightmare.
  Report Post »
- Svt4Him
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:18pm
  Not true at all, the accidents on dry land are way way more and way worse.
  Report Post »
- Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:21pm
  I heard Caribean Cruise lines are using this in their next, “Come to the Bahamas” ads.
  
  Come to the Bahamas, you won’t freeze to death when we drop you overboard.
  
  It’s a joke people, lighten up.
  Report Post »
- ManThong
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:42pm
  The commie troll’s got it wrong- this is a new Obamacare Administrative Review Board testing to she if she is worth further treatment.
  Report Post »
- SlimnRanger
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:52pm
  Well Bless her heart i hope she recovers and lives to tell the story to here great grandkids
  Report Post »
- BIGJAYINPA
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 6:54pm
  Encinom
  I’d reply to you but your sissy a** would get all tensed up, your panties would get bunched and you would cry cause I was mean to your sensitive psyche. It does get rough in Mamas basement dont’t it. All I gotta say to the story is…OOPPS.
  Report Post »
- frodis
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 7:23pm
  How very sad. I really hope she recovers. The fear and coldness she must have endured must have been awful.
  Report Post »
- BIGJAYINPA
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 7:36pm
  ENCINOM
  Knew it. Now you got your panties all wadded and wee wee uped and you fall back on the same old tired liberal talking points. a) Bushes fault b) Repubs hate old people c) Repubs hate sick people and d) Mean old Tea Partiers. From now on save yourself some time and effort and simply reply a b c or d.
  Report Post »
- BIGJAYINPA
  Posted on April 22, 2011 at 7:47pm
  ENCI BABY
  No fun in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent. Do you even know the definition of debate…Most liberal/progs think it means calling you opponent names and insulting them while spewing talking points.
  Report Post »
- patriotgeek
  Posted on April 23, 2011 at 7:53am
  Hmm, Let’s look at the RATIO
  of passengers that got dropped or fell in the water compared
  with the passengers that did not get dropped or fall into the water.
  Cruising looks SAFE to me. I love to cruise.
  Report Post »
- Bum thrower
  Posted on April 23, 2011 at 9:33am
  Opps…sorry ’bout that!!
  Report Post »
- Zorro6821
  Posted on April 24, 2011 at 7:14am
  Breathing air also has its hazards….maybe best just stay inside. Are we a nation of sissys?
  Report Post »

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.