A passenger died after a Saga Cruise ship hit violent winds in the Bay of Biscay, a report into the “Very Serious Marine Casualty” has revealed.
More than 100 guests on board Spirit of Discovery were injured during intense storm conditions on 4 November 2023, as force 11 winds over 64mph and 25ft waves battered the vessel.
An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said eight passengers were hospitalised when the ship arrived at Portsmouth and one later died from their injuries.
Before the incident, Spirit of Discovery had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas due to bad weather and was instead heading towards La Coruna when that port was closed because of the conditions.
The ship’s crew decided to return to the UK when the ship’s propulsion safety system was activated in the poor weather causing it to veer to the left, bringing the vessel to a sudden halt.
The MAIB report states that there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the ship, which had sailed from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura, faced intense storm conditions including a very high sea state rated 8.
It says: “At about 1230 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. The 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.”
Last November following the incident, passenger Carol Lake told The Independent: “It was like a horror movie outside with the waves going up so high. I just tried to keep a tad of normality in a situation I had absolutely no control over, plus I could turn the sound up to drown the ferociously howling winds.”
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast
