4 Lost as Baltimore Clipper Ship Sinks in Squall Near Puerto Rico
A clipper ship used to promote tourism in Baltimore sank in a squall north of Puerto Rico last week, officials said Monday. Eight crew members were rescued and the Coast Guard was searching for four others lost at sea.
The survivors from the Pride of Baltimore, which sank Wednesday, spent nearly five days on the Caribbean Sea on a life raft before being rescued by a Norwegian freighter, said Christopher C. Hartman, secretary of Pride of Baltimore Inc., a nonprofit corporation.
“The ship sank in less than a minute,” he said, adding that the captain and first mate “dove several times to cut free the life rafts.”
Planes were called in to the search area from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Clearwater, Fla., at the request of Rep. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), who had christened the ship in 1977, Hartman said.
“We had an experienced crew. The captain had sailed (the route) many times,” Hartman said. Officials learned Monday morning that the 97-foot ship had gone down in high seas and winds of 30 to 90 knots.
The Pride of Baltimore recently headed to Caribbean waters after cutting short a 15-month European tour because of fears of terrorism.
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