Achille Lauro, Nov 30, 1994, Cruise Ship Fire and Sinking

The MS Achille Lauro caught on fire and sank 125 miles off the coast of Somalia while I was working on board as a crew member. We were rescued by several ships and sailed a few days to Mombasa. I shot video until I ran out of battery. I shortened this video from it's original to fit it on the internet.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Achille Lauro
• cruise ship
• Fire
• Sinking
• Willem Ruys
• ocean
• sailing
• boat
• marine
• boats
• islands
• ships
• water
• seas

[360Nomad]

Were you on the crew during the hijacking?

[lilfoot54]

@360Nomad

No.

[ChrisAK78]

@fnqfun

The 'Achille Lauro' was originally a Dutch ship, called 'Willem Ruys' and was put into service in 1947. In 1965 sold to Italy and renamed 'Achille Lauro'. Not an luxury liner but a beautiful ship.

[fnqfun]

Amazing video. Until now I didn'teven know it sank. I hope everyone got off. The calmness of the passengers is commendable. It doesn't look like a luxury liner but I guess it was built in the 1930's. How was it like? I remember the hijacking, dreadful story. Ironically most hijackings now occur off the Somalia coast, right where you were rescued.

[hamrite]

amazing how no one seems to panic...even though one can feel the tension. Was the crew competent ?

[frank19593]

@SuperTitanicfreak Totally agree about the ship sinking and being intact at the bottom of the ocean. You made the same comment about Angelina Lauro which sank while being towed away for scrapping. I spent a lot of time on Angelina during my youth and it somehow comforts me that she is resting in one piece on the ocean floor as is Achille. Incidently Achille Lauro the man named Angelina as it was his wife's name. I guess as such, Achille Lauro and Angelina Lauro were husband and wife ships.

[Amlaceniligan]

i do remember so well when it happened i was there... for i am one of those survivor... fire starts in one of those engine near my cabin i was asleep having a fever of 40degrees one of those machine engineer bragged my cabin door yelling shouting to get out off the cabin all crew on their position "abandon ship"...

[zimmlock]

Awsome video internet and you-tube keeps amazing me. This ship has a hudge history, construction began at 1939 and she was the flag ship of the Rotterdamsche Lloyd named Willem Ruys there exsists 2 enormouse bookworks about this schip. want more details about the books contact me.

Thanks for this vid