Exclusive: Eyewitness Account of Antarctic Ship Rescue

Aboard the National Geographic Endeavor, Capt. Oliver Kruess was the first to see the stricken tourist ship Explorer from about 15 miles away.

The captain and his team had been on high alert for several hours, when the 1:45 a.m. distress call was broadcast announcing to all ships in the region that the 100-passenger vessel had apparently hit an iceberg and was taking on water.  

Around 3 a.m. all of Explorer's passengers — plus some crew, though not the captain and a dozen staff who would stay on board for several hours more — were put into the ship's lifeboats and Zodiacs (small inflatable boats).

The Explorer was in the middle of a 19-day tour of South Georgia Island and the Antarctic Peninsula....