Folks on Dauphin Island glimpse Triumph

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (WALA) - People have been out and about on the Dauphin Island pier since about 7 a.m. Thursday morning.

Aaron Davis and Charles spent Thursday on Dauphin Island waiting to catch a glimpse of the disable carnival cruise ship Triumph.

Sunday, they received a call from Carnival and then from their wives notifying them one of the ship’s engines caught fire.

“The first call was from Carnival, an automated call that said I was the emergency contact so my heart started beating. They let us know there was an engine room fire, the ship was disabled. No injuries,” said Davis. “I talked to my wife the first time (Sunday). She said it was inconvenient but everyone was ok. When I talked to her Monday morning, she broke down crying. She has nowhere to sleep; it’s uncomfortable.”

Davis and Charles jumped in their cars Tuesday morning and made their way to Mobile from Nacogdoches, Texas, to pick up their wives and their wives’ friends.

Last summer, the group of five girls planned a cruise together going over every minor detail in preparation of their February cruise vacation.

“When we talked to them the first couple of nights, they were really enjoying themselves. And then Sunday, we got that call and we talked to them Sunday and they were like you know this is uncomfortable but this is going to be okay,” said Rikard.

Rikard said his faith in God and Jesus Christ affects his daily walk but this experience has helped make him stronger. He said “We’ve prayed more talked more and our church has come around us and prayed for our ladies and it’s been really nice.”

Once Triumph made it into Mobile bay the pair left Dauphin Island and headed to Mobile.

Davis and Rikard have bought their wives and the wives’ friends roses for Valentine’s Day and Rickard said he’s probably going to cry when he sees his wife step off the ship.