By Mirna Alsharif -
NBC News
One woman was killed and four others injured after a "wild wave" struck the Viking Polaris cruise ship as it sailed to Ushuaia, Argentina, late Tuesday, authorities said.
“It is with great sadness that we confirm that one guest has passed away following the incident,” Viking said in a statement on Thursday.
“We have notified the guest's family and shared our deepest condolences.
We will continue to offer our full support to the family in the coming hours and days."
The passenger's name and city of origin were not released, but Argentine authorities identified her as a 62-year-old American who was struck by broken glass when the wave broke the cabin windows, according to The Associated news agency. Press.
The Viking Polaris in Ushuaia, Argentina, on December 1, 2022. Alexis Delelisi / AFP - Getty Images
The other four passengers had injuries that were not life-threatening and were treated by doctors and medical personnel on board.
Robust waves, or extreme storm waves, are rare, unpredictable, and "greater than twice the size of the surrounding waves," according to the National Ocean Service.
They are described as “walls of water” in most reports.
Suzie Gooding, who was on the ship when the incident occurred, recalled that it felt like they had hit an iceberg, according to the NBC affiliate in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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“Everything was fine until the wave came
, and it was kind of sudden.
Shocking," Gooding told the news station.
"We didn't know if we should prepare our equipment to jump ship."
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The ship
"suffered limited damage during the incident"
and arrived in Ushuaia on Wednesday afternoon, Viking said in its statement.
“We are investigating the facts surrounding this incident and will offer our support to the relevant authorities,” the company added.
"Our focus continues to be the safety and well-being of our guests and crew, and we are working directly with them to arrange the return journey."
The next departure of the Viking Polaris, the Antarctic Explorer cruise scheduled for December 5-17, was canceled due to the incident.