A passenger on board the vessel Saga, which was hit by storms while crossing the Bay of Biscay, revealed that people on board screamed for their lives as nine-metre waves smashed the windows.
The Spirit of Discovery left the UK on October 24 for a two-week cruise, but on Saturday it was decided to cut the last few days short and return to the UK to avoid the approaching storm.
But as they sailed through the Bay of Biscay, strong winds and choppy waters beset them, and by 12:30 conditions were so rough that the ship’s automatic safety system was activated.
Richard Reynolds (60), who was on the ship with his wife and elderly parents, described the crossing as one of the most traumatic things he had ever experienced.
His 84-year-old mother was injured when the ship jerked and was thrown to the ground while he and others were locked in their cabins, where for two days passengers wrote last messages to their relatives on their mobile phones just in case Wearing life jackets for a long time the ship capsized.
He said: “The whole experience was terrible.” Waves crashed against the fifth floor windows, people screamed and furniture, dishes and glass flew in all directions.
A passenger on board the storm-hit vessel Saga revealed that people on board screamed for their lives as 30ft waves crashed into the windows.
The passenger said people were screaming and furniture, dishes and glass were flying in all directions
“I am a former soldier and firefighter and have had many traumatic experiences in my career, but this is one of the worst.”
“People were screaming for their lives, things were cracking and crashing around us and they thought they were going to die.”
“We were locked in our cabins for two days, fully clothed in bed and equipped with life jackets.”
“I know other passengers wrote notes to their loved ones on their phones because they thought they wouldn’t get out.”
“We were there to accompany my elderly parents, my mother was in the medical ward because she had fallen.” They were so crowded that they had to turn the main dining room into a makeshift emergency room because it was completely flooded.
“She saw someone being resuscitated by three members of staff and they said there were only minor injuries?”
A statement from Saga Cruises said: “Unfortunately Spirit of Discovery was caught in challenging weather conditions on her return to the UK at the weekend.”
Some were locked in their cabins, where passengers wrote last messages to family members on their cellphones and wore life jackets continuously for two days in case the ship capsized
As they sailed through the Bay of Biscay, they were buffeted by strong winds and choppy waters, and by 12:30, conditions were so rough that the ship’s automatic safety system was activated.
The ship’s engines fired, sending the ship into a sharp turn, which is believed to have caused injuries, but Mr Reynolds says many passengers were injured before that happened.
He also said he believed the actual number of injured to be closer to 150 than 100.
He added: “There were 980 passengers on board and we heard that more than 150 people were injured, representing 15% of passengers, while the average age was 76 years old.”
“People broke hips, my mother fell and luckily she was fine, but she was kept in the infirmary where someone had to be resuscitated before her.” These were not minor injuries.
“It is completely unacceptable to subject passengers to these extreme conditions and then tolerate what happens.”
The five other seriously injured passengers were treated at the ship’s medical center last night and taken to hospital as a precaution after the ship finally arrived in Portsmouth harbour.
In response to questions about the decision to return to the UK via the Bay of Biscay, Saga said that continuing with the original tour or choosing an alternative route would have meant facing the storm head on. to face
The crew had originally planned to dock in the port of La Coruña in northwestern Spain, but en route they were told the port was closed due to bad weather, forcing them to continue north and the Bay of Biscay to cross on the way to Britain.
The company claims that the vessel is adequately prepared for the demanding conditions expected.
But Mr Reynolds claims Saga’s priority was getting the ship ready for its next voyage.
The passengers and crew of the Spirit of Discovery cruise ship (pictured) faced a terrible ordeal when they were forced to abandon their trip to the Canary Islands last week
He said: “The bottom line is we shouldn’t have been there, we were the only vessel that didn’t seek shelter.”
“Three days before the storm we were told that we were trying to stay ahead of the storm. All they cared about was getting back in time for the next cruise.
“They prioritized the return of the boat over safety.” I tracked this storm on my phone two days before we arrived. They thought they could get ahead of him, but we were caught in the storm with 45 foot waves and 70 mph winds.”
Jan Bendall (75), who was on the cruise with her husband, said they were in their cabin when the captain’s voice over the loudspeaker system told them to “sit or lie”.
She said that after the ship came to rest, it had been stationary for about fifteen hours while it was “in the middle of a storm” and that she and her husband were “caught in mortal danger”.
“It was pretty scary,” she said. “I’m not one to scare easily … it was pretty dramatic.”
She continued: “We’ve been happy, we’re quite healthy, but I think some older people and people in their own cabins were quite worried.”
Another passenger told the BBC that “tables were flying” and the waves were “throwing people all over the building.”
Ms Bendall said part of the dining room had been converted into a “temporary medical room” and passengers would have to remain in their cabins for the rest of Saturday and Sunday.
Despite the ordeal, she said the staff were “absolutely fantastic”.
She said the crew and captain provided regular updates and repeatedly assured passengers “the ship is safe.”
She and her husband disembarked around 0900 GMT on Tuesday and described how workers were replacing glass doors, windows and partitions destroyed during the storm.
A statement from Saga Cruises said: “Unfortunately Spirit of Discovery was hit by difficult weather conditions on her return to the UK this weekend.”
“The ship remained safe at all times, but the effects of the storm resulted in some guests being injured.” All were immediately treated by medical personnel on board.
“Although the weather is clearly beyond our control, we would like to sincerely apologize to all those affected who are now safely on their way home with calmer seas.”
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
