A Calgary couple broke down in tears of joy after getting a phone call from their rescued daughter Saturday morning.
16-year-old Olivia Aftergood is among 64 people who survived the sinking of the tall ship Concordia off the coast of Brazil.
The relief began to sink in when her parents, Margot and David Aftergood, saw her on a television news report safe and sound. It was the images they had been praying to see.
Olivia set sail on the Concordia February 4th. For the grade 11 student at William Aberhart High School, the adventure of a lifetime took an unexpected twist when the tall ship sank in shark infested waters of the South Atlantic.
For 48 hours, her mother and father waited for news. Then, early Saturday morning, they saw her on TV and then they finally spoke to her.
"I see her on the first boat. I am screaming. We are watching. Then the phone rings and it's her," said Margot.
David has been on the phone since early morning fielding calls from friends and family. Everyone is wondering what is going on and David was finally able to give everyone the news they wanted to hear, that Olivia is safe and on her way home.
The ship, which is owned by Lunenburg, Nova Scotia based West Island College International, had 64 students and staff aboard taking part in a program called "Class Afloat". Among them were as many as nine students from the Calgary area.
If everything goes according to plan, the rescued teens will spend the night in Brazil before flying home to Canada on Sunday. The Calgary students are expected to be back in the city Monday.
