Family of Cruise Ship Victim to Appeal to Congress This Week
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Liffridge sole casualty of cruise ship fire
By Johnny Jacksonjjackson@henryherald.comRelatives of a Locust Grove man who died of smoke inhalation last year while on a Caribbean cruise are pushing for increased scrutiny of what they say are insufficient cruise ship safety procedures. Lynnette Hudson is scheduled to appear at a Congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, when she will testify in front of a committee on Coast Guard and maritime transportation. Hudson’s father, Richard Liffridge, died during a fire aboard the Star Princess cruise ship on March 23, 2006, at the age of 72. His wife, 62-year-old Victoria Liffridge, was aboard the ship with him. “Shortly after 3 a.m. — Richard and I were both asleep — we both heard the sound of a steady alarm ringing softly,” she said. The alarm alerted them to a fire on the ship. Victoria Liffridge said that by the time she and her husband were able to get to the hallway outside their cabin to evacuate, smoke had already filled their part of the ship. “Flames were shooting above our heads,” she said. “The sprinklers hadn’t turned on, no lights in the hall or fire extinguishers. I’m not sure if there were smoke detectors in the hall.” Liffridge said she held on to her husband’s T-shirt as they crawled through the smoke-filled hallway trying to find their way out, but they were separated when the ship was jolted. She suspects the jolts were from shifting gears on the ship. She was eventually able to find someone to help her to safety, but her husband did not make it. He was the only reported casualty in the fire.“It was something very devastating to us to have caused her family grief,” said Julie Benson, a spokeswoman with Santa Clarita, Calif.-based Princess Cruises, which operates the Star Princess. “We have been closely working with members of the Liffridge family and their attorney.” Jim Walker, a maritime attorney from Miami, represents the Liffridge family. “The Liffridge family’s story is compelling,” Walker said. “They will be discussing their recommendations to prevent future tragedies and their goals ... regarding the safety of passengers on cruise ships.” The hearing, known as the Cruise Ship Security Practices and Procedures hearing, is the fourth such hearing in two years. “There is very little regulation of the cruise industry,” Walker said. “Mr. Liffridge’s situation was more of whether they had appropriate safety protocols. None of the balconies had heat detectors or fire suppressers. And they are a part of a larger issue in cruise ship safety. “People should know that some of the cruise lines have implemented changes and most of them have not,” he said. The Liffridge family has created a foundation in Richard’s name to push for cruise ship safety improvements. The committee hearing begins at 11 a.m. Wednesday.—On the Net: www.RichardLiffridge.com
Liffridge sole casualty of cruise ship fire
By Johnny Jacksonjjackson@henryherald.comRelatives of a Locust Grove man who died of smoke inhalation last year while on a Caribbean cruise are pushing for increased scrutiny of what they say are insufficient cruise ship safety procedures. Lynnette Hudson is scheduled to appear at a Congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, when she will testify in front of a committee on Coast Guard and maritime transportation. Hudson’s father, Richard Liffridge, died during a fire aboard the Star Princess cruise ship on March 23, 2006, at the age of 72. His wife, 62-year-old Victoria Liffridge, was aboard the ship with him. “Shortly after 3 a.m. — Richard and I were both asleep — we both heard the sound of a steady alarm ringing softly,” she said. The alarm alerted them to a fire on the ship. Victoria Liffridge said that by the time she and her husband were able to get to the hallway outside their cabin to evacuate, smoke had already filled their part of the ship. “Flames were shooting above our heads,” she said. “The sprinklers hadn’t turned on, no lights in the hall or fire extinguishers. I’m not sure if there were smoke detectors in the hall.” Liffridge said she held on to her husband’s T-shirt as they crawled through the smoke-filled hallway trying to find their way out, but they were separated when the ship was jolted. She suspects the jolts were from shifting gears on the ship. She was eventually able to find someone to help her to safety, but her husband did not make it. He was the only reported casualty in the fire.“It was something very devastating to us to have caused her family grief,” said Julie Benson, a spokeswoman with Santa Clarita, Calif.-based Princess Cruises, which operates the Star Princess. “We have been closely working with members of the Liffridge family and their attorney.” Jim Walker, a maritime attorney from Miami, represents the Liffridge family. “The Liffridge family’s story is compelling,” Walker said. “They will be discussing their recommendations to prevent future tragedies and their goals ... regarding the safety of passengers on cruise ships.” The hearing, known as the Cruise Ship Security Practices and Procedures hearing, is the fourth such hearing in two years. “There is very little regulation of the cruise industry,” Walker said. “Mr. Liffridge’s situation was more of whether they had appropriate safety protocols. None of the balconies had heat detectors or fire suppressers. And they are a part of a larger issue in cruise ship safety. “People should know that some of the cruise lines have implemented changes and most of them have not,” he said. The Liffridge family has created a foundation in Richard’s name to push for cruise ship safety improvements. The committee hearing begins at 11 a.m. Wednesday.—On the Net: www.RichardLiffridge.com
posted by Timalantoo | 9/16/2007 08:07:00 PM
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