Keith Shaw
Artist Injured On Cruise Ship During Rough Seas
Saga Rose - December 24, 2007
Keith Shaw
Date: December 24, 2007
Cruise Bruise: Injury
Bruise Location: Caribbean
Age: 77
Home Town: UK
Cruise Line: Saga Holidays
Ship: Saga Rose
Details:
An artist form the United Kingdom, reminds us all how dangerous it is to travel on a cruise ship, when during rough seas, he was tossed out of bed and suffered a severe neck injury.
Keith Shaw was working aboard the Saga Rose, owned and operated by Saga Holidays. Shaw, known for his expertise in watercolor paintings, was holding workshops aboard the ship.
Mr. Shaw suffered a neck injury and was airlifted off the Saga Rose to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, was later transferred to Airedale General Hospital then onto Leeds General Infirmary.
He is now listed at Leeds as in stable but improving condition.
Shaw had worked aboard numerous cruise ships in a teaching capacity, after seeing a job posting in a magazine read by artists.
Teachers or artists are not considered "crew members" aboard a ship. They are independent contractors. Luckily Shaw lives in a country with socialized medicine where he is medical bills are covered by the national healthcare program.
Captain Neil Broomhall who was master at the time of the accident, mentions Mr. Shaw in his blog dated December 22, 2007. The next mention is not by name, but of the medical evacuation on Christmas Day reported by Captain Alistair Mclundie.
Mclundie mentions that the ship had to "sadly miss a port" because they had to sail back the way they had come so the helicopter would be able to have enough fuel to reach the ship.
Captain Mclundie identifies the person evacuated as a "passenger". Shaw was neither crew nor staff, really a passenger getting a deal on the cruise for doing some teaching aboard.
Update: May 18, 2009
A grandson of Mr. Shaw's has reported to Cruise Bruise that Mr. Shaw passed away in the hospital in May 2008, as a result of his injuries.
A regular teacher at the University of the Third Age in Craven, Shaw has visited many countries, including Egypt.
He was stationed in Egypt while he served with the RAF in the late 1940s.
