Two years after the event that will remain etched in the memory of those who confronted it and as an event of transcendence in the country’s history, 45 of the passengers who were on the ship during the massive outbreak of positive cases returned to Uruguayan territory aboard the cruise ship that served as home during one of the most critical moments of the pandemic.
“The time we had to spend in our rooms at the Greg Mortimer off the Uruguayan coast was a time of reflection and trying to understand what was happening. It was very difficult to cope with the moments of uncertainty in which we were not sure what was going to happen or if we could go home, “explained Brian Meier, one of the cruise crew.
Meier also recalled how valuable the cooperation of CASMU was, which offered containment and assistance on board, guaranteed the transfer of passengers to the medical center and ensured their health during their stay in the country.
The institution was also in charge of the operation together with the Ministry of Health to attend the different hotels in which the passengers stayed to guarantee that the required safety conditions were met.
“CASMU’s assistance was instrumental in getting through the difficult situation safely. It was comforting to know that there was a group of professionals determined to take care of us,” he added.
To pay tribute to the passengers, the CASMU delegation, led by President Raúl Rodríguez, presented an edition translated into English of the book “’Greg Mortimer’ – Bitácora de un Rescate” by the writer Mariana Zabala.
It documents the emotions and feelings experienced by the crew and passengers who remained on board the ship for 70 days, as well as by those who assisted them in coping with this situation.
In this regard, Meier recalled the moment in which the official announcement of the positive cases within the cruise was made.
“We were in our rooms when the announcement came that there was a mandatory meeting in the meeting area. As we walked to the assembly, we noticed that the entire crew was wearing hazmat suits,” he detailed.
The book is available for anyone who wishes to access it in its two versions, in Spanish and English, in bookstores or through the ProCasmu Humanitarian Foundation, via [email protected].
All proceeds from its sale will be donated to the ProCasmu Foundation, created from the rescue event, with the mission of uniting actors from Uruguay and abroad with the aim of generating proposals that improve accessibility, availability and quality of health services provided in the country, carrying out the development of health, educational and community interventions aimed at benefiting and contributing to society, especially working in contexts of high vulnerability.
The meeting was also attended by the Vice President of Operations of Aurora Expeditions of Australia, Tomas Holik, as well as national authorities.
