A passenger was so badly hurt they died when their cruise ship hit a powerful storm, which left over 100 other guests injured, a new report says.
Thrashed by 30ft waves, the Saga ship marketed only to those aged 50 and above veered from side to side all night until the weather conditions subsided and it could return to port in the UK.
Video taken from the ship shows the scale of what the crew had to contend with, as waves hollowed out the sea from beneath and then rolled back up again.
The ship had departed the UK for a two-week holiday last year, but the trip had to be cut short due to the challenging weather conditions, described in an interim government report into the ‘very serious marine casualty’.
The Spirit of Discovery was hit with force 11 winds in the Bay of Biscay west of France on November 4 2023, a report into the incident has revealed.
It tells how eight guests were taken to hospital when the ship arrived at Portsmouth, and one was so badly injured they died.
An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the ship, which had sailed from Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, faced force 11 winds and a sea state rated 8 for very high.
The ship had been on its way to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, but had to cancel the visit as weather worsened.
One passenger said some of those on board ‘feared for their lives.’
‘People were writing texts to their loved ones in case we capsized,’ passenger Richard told BBC News at the time of the incident.
‘The tone of voice in our captain… he was physically scared. We had crew crying. We had many passengers in awful states of fear.
‘To say “minor injuries” is an insult to the many horrific broken bones, pelvises, lacerations, stitches etc. that were caused [to] a very old passenger clientele.’
Another passenger said they were in their cabin when the captain’s voice over the speaker system told them to ‘remain seated or lie down’.
Jan Bendall, 75 said the ship was stationary for about 15 hours whilst ‘caught in the middle of the storm’, during which she and her husband were ‘holding on for dear life’.
‘It was quite frightening,’ she said. ‘I’m not somebody who frightens easily… it was quite dramatic.’
After leaving the Canary Islands, the ship was heading instead towards La Coruna in the north of mainland Spain, but this port was closed because of the conditions.
The ship’s crew took the decision to continue on and return to England when the propulsion safety system was activated in the poor weather causing it to veer suddenly to the left, bringing the vessel to a sudden halt.
The MAIB report states: ‘At about 12.30 on 4 November 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay.
‘This led to the vessel moving violently while the crew restarted the vessel’s propulsion.
‘The propulsion issues, storm force conditions and vessel motions continued until the following morning when Spirit of Discovery was able to continue its passage.
‘During this period over 100 passengers were injured. Eight of the seriously injured passengers were taken directly to hospital on arrival at Portsmouth, England, one of whom later died from their injuries.’
It continues: ‘The MAIB’s investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discovery’s loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the on-board response, including analysis of the vessel’s intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers.’
The interim report states that the investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued for consultation with the parties involved.
Saga Cruises said in a statement following the incident: ‘Spirit of Discovery was sadly caught in the challenging weather conditions this weekend, as she started her return to the UK.
‘The ship remained safe at all times but, due to the impact of the storm, some guests sustained injuries.
‘All were treated immediately by onboard medical staff.
‘While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely back, having sailed home in calmer seas.’
A spokeswoman for Saga said all guests on the trip had been offered a full refund and added: ‘Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year.
‘We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation.’
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