A COUSIN of Irish adventurer and explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, whose legendary attempts to reach the South Pole have been the subject of books and documentaries, was last night one of five Irish people rescued from a cruise ship which ran aground in the sea off Antarctica two days ago.
In a curious twist of fate, Jonathan Shackleton (57), from Co Cavan, whose illustrious cousin Ernest was forced to abandon an attempt on the pole 100 years ago last month, was on board the MV Ocean Novawhen it hit rocks in Marguerite Bay on the west side of the polar continent, at about 3am (Irish time) on Tuesday.
Unlike his ancestor who took nearly two years to escape the frozen wastes of Antarctica after his ship Endurancegot stuck in ice during a 1914 expedition, Jonathan and his 104 fellow passengers and crew were lucky to spend somewhat less time in limbo.
Quark Expeditions, which operates the Ocean Nova, said high winds had taken the crew by surprise and dragged the anchored ship up against the rocks near the Argentine polar base at San Martin before the crew had time to put the engines in reverse.
The Connecticut-based tour operator said several attempts to dislodge the vessel from the rocks had been thwarted by high winds.
However, the passengers and most of the crew were last night transferred to a second Quark ship, the MV Clipper Adventurer, which had sailed to the area to aid the stricken vessel.
Quark said last night that the Ocean Novaremained aground and Danish captain Per Gravesen would again attempt to dislodge the ship at high tide after midnight (2am Irish time). The operator said an initial assessment of damage indicated there was no imminent danger to the vessel and there had been no threat to lives.
The passengers are due to make the northward journey back to Ushuaia, Argentina, on board the Clipper Adventurerimminently.
Jonathan Shackleton, who is Ernest Shackleton's second cousin twice removed, has been on several expeditions to Antarctica and has co-authored a book on his famous relative's adventures, entitled An Irishman in Antarctica.
In an e-mail to his wife, Daphne, and daughter Hannah in Ireland yesterday, he was full of praise for Capt Gravesen, whom he said had remained calm and supportive and had kept passengers’ spirits high.
Mr Shackleton said the ship’s bar had served specially-concocted cocktails called Ocean Nova on the Rocks during the ordeal. A luxury not afforded cousin Ernest.
