SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Within days of each other, two sisters from Yellowknife came to the aid of a cruise ship grounded near Kugluktuk in August - one by sea, one by air – but never crossed paths.

Nicole Stacey stands on a float of a Twin Otter with the grounded MV Clipper Adventurer near Kugluktuk in the late summer. The Arctic Sunwest first officer was delivering supplies to crew stranded aboard the grounded cruise ship. - photo courtesy of Nicole Stacey

Michelle Stacey, 28, is a biologist and was on board the CCGS Amundsen on a six-week tour in the Beaufort Sea studying marine biology when the vessel received a distress call from a ship that had run aground.

The ship was the MV Clipper Adventurer, travelling from Port Epworth to Kugluktuk. The cruise ship ran aground on a rock in the Coronation Gulf, about 60 nautical miles from Kugluktuk on Aug. 27.

"We were on a coast guard ship retrofitted to do scientific research in the Arctic and it's an ice breaker. The coast guard has a responsibility to respond to any search and rescue calls," said Michelle. "It took us two days to get to the grounded ship."

The CCGS Amundsen was the first vessel to arrive on the scene. Michelle helped the cruise ship passengers get safely on board as the coast guard vessel ferried passengers from the stranded ship to Kugluktuk.

"It was interesting to catch a glimpse of what the coast guard does and gain an appreciation for the job it was neat to see them in action," said Michelle.

As the CCGS Amundsen was leaving the area, relinquishing the grounded ship to the care of the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Michelle's sister younger sister Nicole was about to get involved.

Nicole Stacey, 25, is a Twin Otter first officer with Arctic Sunwest Charters. She was asked to co-pilot a flight to bring supplies to the grounded ship. Though the Clipper Adventurer's passengers has been evacuated, the crew remained on board. The Twin Otter brought food and helped transport workers to try and free the ship.

"We didn't actually cross paths," said Nicole. "But it was still neat I got to fly out."

It wasn't until later that the two found out they had both been involved in the ship's rescue. Michelle since received an e-mail from Nicole with a photo of her standing on one of floats of the Twin Otter with the grounded cruise ship in the background.

"It was exciting," said Michelle. "What are the chances of being in that part of the world at the same time?"

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