SEATTLE — The MS Westerdam cut a majestic figure as she slowly made her way into Elliott Bay at about 5:00 on Saturday morning.
But those on board said their journey back from Alaska was bittersweet.
"It was a beautiful cruise, fantastic at Glacier Bay," said passenger Nancy Gerner. "It just cast a pall on the whole cruise, unfortunately."
Gerner and her husband, Jim, from Seattle, were among the thousands who returned but were deeply touched by the crash of a float plane that claimed the lives of eight passengers.
"There was a lovely memorial service on board," said Gerner. "I think the place was just packed."
The doomed passengers were on board a float plane Thursday operated by Promech Air.
They were on an excursion to the Misty Fjords when the plane went down in the rocky terrain near Ella Lake, northeast of Ketchikan.
The 64-year-old pilot from Hope, Idaho, died, too.
"We were actually on a float plane ride that morning, before it happened," said Jack Hargiss of Denver. “We missed it by about an hour."
A private pilot himself, Hargiss blamed the weather and the Promech pilot.
"He hit 800 [feet] above the water and there were some very walls, they call them," said Hargiss, gesturing with his hands. "They're shelves there. And I'm sure he went into a cloud bank and just hammered the wall."
The fatal crash delayed their departure by about six hours, he said, and they skipped the port of call in Victoria, BC.
"I think [it was] a small sacrifice for the rest of us," said Hargiss.
Despite the accident, most of the people said it did not ruin their trip to Alaska.
After all, they missed just one port of call.
But it had them counting their blessings.
"Oh yeah," said Lynnette Hargiss of Denver. "I have our two granddaughters with us and their parents are out of the country."
KIRO
