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MIAMI, FL (USA) — Norwegian
Cruise Lines (NCL) has issued a press release in which they adamantly
deny any responsibility for the tragic loss of "Forgea", the
dog who was excluded from last week's rescue and who presumably went
down with the tanker Insiko 1907 in the Pacific Ocean.
On April 2, the NCL cruise ship Norwegian Star rescued the
11 surviving crew members of the Insiko, but for disputed
reasons, the captain's two-year-old dog was left to perish.
Last weekend, in an impressive but unsuccessful rescue operation, the
Hawaiian Humane Society (HHS) and the Humane Society of the United
States coordinated sea and air efforts, covering thousands of square
miles of ocean in an attempt to locate and retrieve the abandoned dog.
On Sunday, rescuers concluded that the ship had sunk with Forgea on
board.
In the aftermath, NCL president and CEO Colin Veitch issued a
statement refuting any blame for the dog's abandonment, stating: "It is unfortunate that the heroism of the crew onboard
Norwegian Star has been overshadowed by false allegations that we
deliberately and maliciously left an animal behind. It is simply untrue."
 NCL
President Colin Veitch, pictured here speaking at the Nov. '01
Christening of the Norwegian Star, denies that NCL was
responsible for leaving Forgea aboard the sinking tanker. |
Although NCL does maintain a general policy of no dogs allowed on
board its vessels (except guide dogs), a spokesperson for NCL implied that they would have
admitted Forgea, had they been informed of the dog's presence.
The spokesperson stated: "At
no time during the rescue operation or immediately after the rescue
did Insiko crewmembers inform the captain of Norwegian Star that a dog
was onboard the cargo ship."
The spokesperson adds: "We very much regret that the Hawaiian
Humane Society has seen fit to impugn the reputation, motives and
standards of Norwegian Cruise Line and the captain and crew of
Norwegian Star."
The implication that rescuers refused to accommodate Forgea came
from a television interview with Norwegian Star passengers who
claimed they could hear a dog's barking aboard the burned
tanker.
Passenger Mason Matheny of Tulsa, Oklahoma told KHNL-TV (Honolulu)
that he and his wife Judy heard the dog barking from their balcony
after being awakened after 1:45 a.m. April 2 by a noise. They
said they saw the tanker between 50 and 100 yards away and watched as
the Norwegian Star crew launched lifeboats to rescue the
tanker's crew.
"We heard that dog bark for a while," said Mr. Matheny in
an interview Tuesday. He said he took out his video camera to
start filming the rescue.
"I turned on the video camera, and you can hear me, I said
'Judy, I don't hear the dog barking anymore. I wonder what happened to
it."
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The Norwegian Star is a $400 million supership, the largest cruise ship
ever to set sail in the islands of Hawaii.
Perhaps the only person who can verify the truth once and for
all is Captain Chung Chin Po of the Insiko, who departed Hawaii to return
to his homeland on Saturday and was unavailable for comment.
Ellen Chen, an
official at the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Office, said that Captain Po was devastated by the loss.
The tragic nature of this incident—not
to mention the great expense and effort exerted by the humane societies in
organizing the best possible rescue—has caused a sensation that has
touched the hearts (or nerves) of people around the world.
Although there are some critics of the "extravagant" mission
to save Forgea, HHS spokesperson Eve Holt told The Scoop that there
has been overwhelming support for the mission from people who have been offering words of reassurance as well as
donations to help with the costs of commissioning the rescue boat American
Quest. More than $30,000 (USD) in donations has been received to
help with the expenses.
"This outpouring of support has reminded us how many people care
about animals and are committed to helping when an animal is in
need," said HHS president Pamela Burns. "One pet owner
commented, that 'if it was my dog, I'd spend even more,' and it is obvious
that many others feel the same way."
Regardless of who is to blame for the loss of Forgea, the
resounding moral to the story seems to be quite simple: a dog's life holds a
special, invaluable place in the human heart.
"I can't imagine the alternative," said Ms. Holt, "...of
knowing
that there was a dog out there and we didn't do everything we possibly
could."
UPDATES:
(Apr. 13): It Ain't Over Yet!
(Apr. 21):
Insiko Found
(Apr. 22): Dog
Rescued
(Apr. 27): Forgea Rescued! (We really mean it this time)
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