Double Tragedy Averted As Belfast Adventurer Saved From Icy Waters

The Belfast man plucked from a sinking cruise liner in freezing Antarctic waters on Friday is due home this week in east Belfast, where the retired headmaster's family is doubly thankful for his deliverance.

Raymond King's wife, Muriel, has told how her husband was lucky to be alive and revealed that, had things happened differently, it could have been a second tragedy for the family.

"We lost our son Peter in 1993 after an accident in Co Donegal and I really couldn't have coped with another tragedy. I can't believe Raymond has survived this," said Mrs King.

"I was praying that he would be fine and when I got the call from my daughter-in-law to assure me that he was being well cared for, I was absolutely delighted.

"He was being well looked after and we are just waiting to hear when he will be flown to England, before returning to Northern Ireland."

Raymond King - a grandfather - was one of 150 passengers and crew on the M/S Explorer when it was ripped open after striking an iceberg in the Bransfield Strait, in the early hours of last Friday morning.

The former principal of Monkstown Community School was then cast adrift in an open lifeboat in minus 5C temperatures before rescue by the Norwegian ship, NordNorge.

Raymond was left with nothing but his watch, camera and his clothes after abandoning the sinking ship.

He said: "It was pretty horrific. It was cold, it was wet, it was scary. No-one was injured and we are in good heart, looking forward to going home."

The local explorer, who has made adventure trips to Nepal, Central America and New Zealand, is expected to be with his family on Wednesday.

Mrs King concluded: "There is no doubt that Raymond and the other passengers and crew are very lucky to be alive. This is one of the remotest parts of the earth and it's only by the grace of God the NordNorge was close by. They all could have perished in such freezing temperatures in a couple of hours."

(BMcC)