A Shropshire couple had to be rescued from the stricken Antarctic cruise ship which sank after hitting an iceberg.

Brian and Gillian Lee, of Telford, were today waiting to fly home after their dream holiday watching wildlife turned into a nightmare. The couple, who were among 90 tourists on the ship, said after their ordeal they were lucky to be alive.

They were woken in the middle of Friday night by a siren signalling that the M/S Explorer was sinking.

They were airlifted from a remote island in the Southern Ocean on Saturday.

They have told how they had to pull on warm clothes and clamber up to the cruise ship’s deck in freezing temperatures before being given the order to abandon ship and cram into lifeboats along with 150 others.

Mrs Lee was treated to the holiday by her husband, 68, to celebrate 41 years of marriage and because she had always wanted to walk with penguins.

The 63-year-old retired charity worker of Oakengates, said: “We are lucky to be alive. It was quite frightening at the time as the ship was taking on water and we knew we were hundreds of miles from anyone else.

“We had been told what to do in emergencies so our self-preservation instincts just kicked in. It’s only now, in the warm with hot food and drink, that I look back and think how lucky we are to be alive. It was like a dream and it’s hard to believe it all happened.”

The grandmother-of-seven, who has two children, said: “It was very scary because the ship was listing over towards one side and things were sliding across the deck.

“The crew had been busy going back and forth but you could tell something was seriously wrong by the look of concentration on their faces.”

The couple are recovering in Buenos Aires, Argentina, waiting for a flight to Britain.

Their daughter Di Willett said the first she knew of the drama was when her grandmother, Mr Lee’s mother Gladys Lee, 94, of Market Drayton, called to let her know her parents were safe.

“I had a text from them at 4.30am today saying they were in Buenos Aires and were just about to go to bed to sleep,” she said, adding she was sure it would not put them off travelling in future.

Mrs Lee told how they were awoken by the ship’s alarm and grabbed a few possessions, such as photographs and passports, as water came flooding into the cabins.She said: “We got into the lifeboats as we had been shown how to do and pushed off. It was surreal looking back at the ship and knowing all our possessions were still on board.

“We got into our survival bags, which are like waterproof sleeping bags and snuggled together to keep warm.”

Mr Lee, a retired insurance executive, said: “I slept right through the alarm and when my wife grabbed me I thought she wanted a cuddle. I didn’t know we were sinking.

“It’s terrifying when you think what might have happened. Up until that point we were having a great time. We’d been to the Falklands, South Georgia, Elephant Island and seen penguins, seals, whales and lots of sea birds.”

Mr Lee, who was born in Market Drayton, added: “I am a bit disappointed we didn’t get to finish our trip but how many people have been on a ship that’s hit an iceberg in the middle of the night, sunk and lived to tell the tale? It puts it all in perspective.”

The couple were nine days into the 19-day wildlife cruise of the Falklands and Antarctica when the drama unfolded.

Today, the couple’s neighbours said they were relieved that the pair, who often travel and go on expeditions, were safe.

Chris Rowley, said: “I know Gillian was really looking forward to this holiday. They usually go and see their son in America but this is something they really wanted to do and then this happens.”