Trumpeter calms passengers after huge wave hits ferry


"The boat is sinking!"

The video is from 22-year-old passenger Ariel Shrum — who was on board a ferry headed to Boston Wednesday when a huge wave hit it. He said the wave sounded like a gunshot and cracked the windshields. People were awakened by the sheet of water, and the atmosphere on the boat was "panicky" as people feared at first the ferry was going down.

Many passengers told local outlets the water hadn't been particularly choppy that day.

"It was sort of rough but not horrible. We were just chatting and all of a sudden we went, 'Oh my God,' and this huge sheet of green just hit us. It went boom. There was a crack and a boom."

Witnesses told WHDH the wave was 20 feet high, and left the boat's engines disabled.

NECN: "You can see it right there. It has some cracked windshields. ... They were able to get one engine up and running. The Coast Guard escorted them back in."

But before that, the boat was stranded for about four hours. Shrum said people got sick from the boat's violent rocking.

But Shrum actually used some of the skills he showcases with his band, The Interlopers, to help calm passengers. He played the trumpet.

"I tried to play ocean-themed music," he said. "I played 'Under the Sea,' 'Octopus Garden' and then as a joke — I played 'Jaws.'" (Video via Disney / 'The Little Mermaid,' Universal Pictures / 'Jaws')

Some perfectly chosen tunes there. Luckily, no passengers were hurt. They were refunded their tickets and given help with other travel when the ferry finally docked. The captain was treated for a minor injury to his hand.

About the Author