NORFOLK, Va. (WTVR) - A half dozen crew members of the HMS Bounty have now testified about what doomed the tall, wooden ship that sailed into the teeth of Hurricane Sandy.
They said pumps in the engine room used to remove seawater failed. The water eventually killed the engines and generators, and it was clear to the captain the ship was lost.
There were also splits in the Bounty's hull seams they couldn't close.
They decided the only option to save themselves before it tipped over, was to abandon ship. As they did, the Bounty rolled on it's side.
One crew member recounted the intensity of the event.
"'She was right next to me on deck, and while my leg was pinched and she was saying, what do I do? What do I do? I said, Claudene, you have to go forward. You have to make your way to get clear of the boat," the crew member said.
Claudene Christian didn't make it to the life rafts and neither did Captain Robin Walridge who went down with the ship.
Sixteen other crew members survived.
