You have to hand it to the Scots
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 8:41 pm
Most people on a ferry at sea facing pending disaster would probably panic, scream or start praying.
What did the typical Scots do?
Head for the bar :wah:
Give us a winch | The Sun |Home Scotland|Scottish News
SHATTERED ferry passengers who avoided disaster at sea last night spoke of their relief at being winched off the boat after 22 HOURS trapped onboard.
Travellers on the HSS Stena Voyager experienced terror on Wednesday night when an articulated truck tore free from its fastenings and crashed through the back doors of the Belfast-bound vessel shortly after leaving Stranraer.
The stricken boat managed to limp back to the Dumfriesshire port to safety soon after the drama at around 8.20pm, five miles out in Loch Ryan.
But the 156 passengers and 33 crew could not be taken off because the truck’s trailer — which was dangling out the back of the boat — meant the walkway could not connect to the dock.
Trucky escape . . . lorry cab jammed in doors of vessel
And it wasn’t until 5.30pm last night — almost 22 hours after the vessel embarked on its journey — when fire crews arrived with a cherry-picker that they were plucked to safety.
The operation — lifting people one by one — took several hours.
Passenger Howard Beard, 46, from Blackburn, Lancs, said: “It’s an absolutely massive relief to be off the boat now, I think everyone is pretty shattered.
“No-one is hurt and it could have been a lot worse.”
Screamed
Howard also claimed the driver of the truck admitted leaving his handbrake off.
He said: “He was telling people he’d forgotten to put his handbrake on. He was sh***ing himself that the police were going to be coming on to interview him.”
Kerry Cooper, 23, of Bangor, Co Down, was also glad to be back on dry land.
She said: “It is such a relief to be off. We’ve been on there for so long. But I didn’t enjoy getting in the lift. The harness was hitching up my skirt and I was gripping on. I was petrified.”
Her dad Tony, 53, and Howard also told how the bar was shut as some passengers partied a little too hard after their narrow escape.
Tony said: “They shut the bar because a few people took a bit too much advantage of it.”
Howard said: “They didn’t want people getting drunk on the boat.”
And Steve Wright, 24, from Bangor, added “They closed the bar around 12.30 last night because there was a crowd of rowdy customers and they also closed the off-licence as well. But the atmosphere on the boat as a whole was generally quite ambient because I think people were a bit tired.”
Peter McCrory, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, said the accident could have been fatal.
When the truck burst through the door an alarm sounded in the control deck and power was immediately cut to the ship’s engines.
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Frantic passengers screamed in terror as the front of the boat nosedived towards the freezing water as it lost momentum.
Peter said: “It was frightening. If the boat had taken in water, it could have been a tragedy.”
Adrew Bustard, 37, from Castlederg, Co Tyrone, thanked the crew onboard. He said: “They made it very manageable for us.”
Stena spokesman Nigel Tilson said: “This has been a very difficult time for all concerned and passenger and crew safety has been Stena Line’s number one priority.”
Stena, police and a team from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch will probe the incident.
A SEPA spokesman said the truck’s load — non-toxic ferrous sulphate — posed little environmental threat.
A spokesman for truck owners, Edinburgh-based haulage firm Turners, would only confirm it was their vehicle involved.
What did the typical Scots do?
Head for the bar :wah:
Give us a winch | The Sun |Home Scotland|Scottish News
SHATTERED ferry passengers who avoided disaster at sea last night spoke of their relief at being winched off the boat after 22 HOURS trapped onboard.
Travellers on the HSS Stena Voyager experienced terror on Wednesday night when an articulated truck tore free from its fastenings and crashed through the back doors of the Belfast-bound vessel shortly after leaving Stranraer.
The stricken boat managed to limp back to the Dumfriesshire port to safety soon after the drama at around 8.20pm, five miles out in Loch Ryan.
But the 156 passengers and 33 crew could not be taken off because the truck’s trailer — which was dangling out the back of the boat — meant the walkway could not connect to the dock.
Trucky escape . . . lorry cab jammed in doors of vessel
And it wasn’t until 5.30pm last night — almost 22 hours after the vessel embarked on its journey — when fire crews arrived with a cherry-picker that they were plucked to safety.
The operation — lifting people one by one — took several hours.
Passenger Howard Beard, 46, from Blackburn, Lancs, said: “It’s an absolutely massive relief to be off the boat now, I think everyone is pretty shattered.
“No-one is hurt and it could have been a lot worse.”
Screamed
Howard also claimed the driver of the truck admitted leaving his handbrake off.
He said: “He was telling people he’d forgotten to put his handbrake on. He was sh***ing himself that the police were going to be coming on to interview him.”
Kerry Cooper, 23, of Bangor, Co Down, was also glad to be back on dry land.
She said: “It is such a relief to be off. We’ve been on there for so long. But I didn’t enjoy getting in the lift. The harness was hitching up my skirt and I was gripping on. I was petrified.”
Her dad Tony, 53, and Howard also told how the bar was shut as some passengers partied a little too hard after their narrow escape.
Tony said: “They shut the bar because a few people took a bit too much advantage of it.”
Howard said: “They didn’t want people getting drunk on the boat.”
And Steve Wright, 24, from Bangor, added “They closed the bar around 12.30 last night because there was a crowd of rowdy customers and they also closed the off-licence as well. But the atmosphere on the boat as a whole was generally quite ambient because I think people were a bit tired.”
Peter McCrory, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, said the accident could have been fatal.
When the truck burst through the door an alarm sounded in the control deck and power was immediately cut to the ship’s engines.
Advertisement
Frantic passengers screamed in terror as the front of the boat nosedived towards the freezing water as it lost momentum.
Peter said: “It was frightening. If the boat had taken in water, it could have been a tragedy.”
Adrew Bustard, 37, from Castlederg, Co Tyrone, thanked the crew onboard. He said: “They made it very manageable for us.”
Stena spokesman Nigel Tilson said: “This has been a very difficult time for all concerned and passenger and crew safety has been Stena Line’s number one priority.”
Stena, police and a team from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch will probe the incident.
A SEPA spokesman said the truck’s load — non-toxic ferrous sulphate — posed little environmental threat.
A spokesman for truck owners, Edinburgh-based haulage firm Turners, would only confirm it was their vehicle involved.
:D
:wah: