Lafayette Man Documents

Lafayette Man Documents "From Triumph to Tragedy"

Posted: Feb 15, 2013 10:17 PM by Erin Steuber
Updated: Feb 15, 2013 10:23 PM

By our count more than 39 people from Acadiana were onboard Triumph, all with amazing stories. One man from Lafayette giving us a view of the ordeal we've yet to see. The man put together a mini documentary he's calling "From Triumph to Tragedy."

Lafayette's Lance Winder documented his "vacation" on board Triumph. From the "tent deck" to the makeshift camps, Winder's camera gives us a view of Triumph, we have yet to see.

"As challenging as it was, and that's really the only word I can use. It wasn't dire, it wasn't terrifying, it was just kinda like camping," said Winder. "Everyone was giving. Everyone was sharing. Everyone was talkative, and all smiles, and joking about it."

In the five days with limited electricity and plumbing, we see how the passengers passed the time. And the daring relief efforts came from other ships.

"they (Carnival Legend) had to be 20-30 feet from us," said Winder. "It had to be Maverick or the Top Gun of the Carnival fleet. Whoever did that maneuver it was really incredible."

As the days went on, helicopters dropped food and water, as passengers on Triumph packed its upper deck.

"Over the course of the next few days we were always fed, and we always had water," said Winder. "Nobody went without, there were some lines for either one."

Winder was on board with his wife and parents, and believe it or not, all things considered, they say they still had a good time, and cruising may still be in their future.

"The crew was absolutely stunning. Honestly in light of the situation, in my opinion, they couldn't have responded better. Even the cruise director was pretty inspirational," said Winder.

For now, Winder says he's not planning on legal action. We looked into what legal action passenger can take, and turns out it's very limited. The tickets are essentially binding contracts, limiting their rights if things go wrong. But already lawsuits have been filed.