Cannibal rat-infested ghost ship 'has probably sunk': Irish Coast Guard
The Lyubov Orlova is likely at the bottom of the ocean, not headed for the British coastline, experts say. One salvage hunter believes the vessel, which has been drifting in the Atlantic Ocean for almost a year, is filled with rodents who have been eating each other to stay alive.
By Victoria Taylor / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Saturday, January 25, 2014, 12:29 PM
KIKE CALVO/AP
The unmanned Lyubov Orlova, shown here, ‘has more than likely sunk, given the storms that have gone through the region,’ according to the Irish Coast Guard.
An abandoned ghost vessel thought to be infested with cannibal rats isn’t heading for British shores after all, experts say.
The dilapidated Lyubov Orlova cruise liner may in fact be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Irish Coast Guard.
“Our professional belief is that it has sunk,” Chris Reynolds, the agency’s director, told independent.ie. “We've discussed it with the UK and Norway and Iceland and we're all pretty happy that it has probably sunk.”
The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) also released a statement about the Lyubov Orlova saying, “there is no evidence to suggest it is still afloat.”
“Any ‘ghost’ ship entering European waters is highly likely to be reported due to the large number of vessels passing through the area. We would then act accordingly,” the statement continues.
Salvage hunters have had their eyes on the ship, which is worth an estimated $1 million in scrap metal.
There are no people onboard, but some say the ship is occupied by nightmarish creatures — rodents who have been in-breeding and feeding on each other to stay alive.
“There will be a lot of rats, and they eat each other,” Belgian salvage hunter Pim de Rhoodes told The Sun. “If I get aboard, I'll have to lace everywhere with poison.”
As Smithsonian magazine points out, no one has actually been on the ship in about a year, so we don’t know for sure that it is filled with cannibal vermin. However, there were rats on the Lyubov Orlova when it left Canada, Reynolds said.
The 300-foot ship was built in 1976 in Yugoslavia. It was mostly used for cruises to the Antarctic and Arctic Circle.
Things took a turn for the worse in 2010. The Lyubov Orlova’s owners jumped ship when they fell into debt and could not pay the crew. The abandoned boat was left in a harbor in St. John’s, Newfoundland, for more than two years.
In January of 2013, the ship was sold to the Dominican Republic to be scrapped. However, the vessel broke lose soon after it left the dock. It was reportedly recaptured by Canadian authorities, but the line snapped again, and the boat was left drifting in international waters.
vtaylor@nydailynews.com
The dilapidated Lyubov Orlova cruise liner may in fact be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Irish Coast Guard.
“Our professional belief is that it has sunk,” Chris Reynolds, the agency’s director, told independent.ie. “We've discussed it with the UK and Norway and Iceland and we're all pretty happy that it has probably sunk.”
The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) also released a statement about the Lyubov Orlova saying, “there is no evidence to suggest it is still afloat.”
“Any ‘ghost’ ship entering European waters is highly likely to be reported due to the large number of vessels passing through the area. We would then act accordingly,” the statement continues.
Salvage hunters have had their eyes on the ship, which is worth an estimated $1 million in scrap metal.
There are no people onboard, but some say the ship is occupied by nightmarish creatures — rodents who have been in-breeding and feeding on each other to stay alive.
“There will be a lot of rats, and they eat each other,” Belgian salvage hunter Pim de Rhoodes told The Sun. “If I get aboard, I'll have to lace everywhere with poison.”
As Smithsonian magazine points out, no one has actually been on the ship in about a year, so we don’t know for sure that it is filled with cannibal vermin. However, there were rats on the Lyubov Orlova when it left Canada, Reynolds said.
The 300-foot ship was built in 1976 in Yugoslavia. It was mostly used for cruises to the Antarctic and Arctic Circle.
Things took a turn for the worse in 2010. The Lyubov Orlova’s owners jumped ship when they fell into debt and could not pay the crew. The abandoned boat was left in a harbor in St. John’s, Newfoundland, for more than two years.
In January of 2013, the ship was sold to the Dominican Republic to be scrapped. However, the vessel broke lose soon after it left the dock. It was reportedly recaptured by Canadian authorities, but the line snapped again, and the boat was left drifting in international waters.
vtaylor@nydailynews.com
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