A large cruise ship got too close to comfort for a man in the US when it appeared to be on a collision course for his waterfront home.
Bill Todhunter was at his Port Everglades, Florida home when the ship Celebrity Equinox came within metres of his house – and others.
But instead of running, he faced it head on. A video revealed Todhunter standing in front of the vessel, waving his arms at it.
His wife Yasmine could be heard screaming at him: “It’s too close! Come on, Bill”.
But he stood his ground. He told ABC 10 Local News: “I looked up and all I could see was the bow of the vessel, and it was towering over the house.
“When the cruise ship’s thrusters stopped, there was silence and I yelled, ‘Somebody’s going to get fired,’ and everybody on the cruise started applauding.”
That the passengers could hear him was a testament to how close the ship was to his house.
In the six years he and his wife had lived there, they had not seen anything like it, he said.
An investigation into the incident was launched and Todhunter claimed the ship had run aground because it was no longer in the correct channel.
Celebrity Cruises said in a statement: “As Equinox departed on Friday, March 3, she was in her assigned channel at all times under the guidance of specialised local port pilots.
“The ship operated safely and did not put guests or crew at risk. We can also confirm the ship did not touch bottom.”
However, the cruise line and pilots association said it had had not beached and the investigation was closed, it was reported.
Source: Stuff
