A cruise ship was in poor condition in the Bay of Biscay on Saturday, November 4, 2023. Spirit of Discovery was completing its journey along the coast of Europe when it was hit by a storm. Many passengers were injured.
Great terror on board the Spirit of Discovery. One hundred of the ship’s thousand passengers were injured in technical incidents caused by a storm in the Bay of Biscay, CNN reports.
change of direction
The boat was beginning the final leg of its epic journey off the west coast of France when it was caught in a storm on Saturday. The passengers’ saga began on November 2 when the crew decided to cancel a stop when they saw a storm approaching.
En route to another port, which eventually closed, the ship had to continue its trajectory at sea at more than 100 km 600 nautical miles (1,111 kilometers). The captain hoped in vain that he could get a head start on the catastrophe.
In the middle of the storm
The company that operates the boat, Saga Cruises, did not explain to our colleagues why the decision to turn back was not made at the time. The boat stayed on course and crossed the path of the storm on November 4th.
The ship’s propulsion system activated, causing the Spirit of Discovery to sway to the left before coming to an abrupt stop. 10% of passengers were injured in the incident of the ship, i.e. around 100 people.
WATCH: BBC reports ‘tables were flying through the air’ as waves threw people ‘up and down everywhere,’ say passengers on British cruise ship Spirit of Discovery caught in storm. 100 people were injured when 30-foot waves smashed into the ship’s windows. pic.twitter.com/NWZh2tL2ff
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 7, 2023
The crew decided to maintain their position and for many hours the passengers witnessed a real scene of panic. The captain told them over the intercom that he was “holding on for dear life,” triggering the alarm alpha code, the medical emergency signal on board.
Our colleagues at the BBC have shared the video taken by one of the passengers which shows this turbulent sea on which the Spirit of Discovery sailed.
Sage Cruises defends the captain’s decisions
Speaking to our colleagues across the Atlantic, Saga Cruises CEO Nigel Lanks defended himself: “We operate to the highest health and safety protocols and every decision has been made based on the advice of the ship’s captain and the forecasts of our dedicated marine meteorologists.” . We have done everything to ensure safety We are taking care of our guests and supporting them during the storm, including providing specialist medical care to those injured.”
Screenshot of the ship finder on Saturday November 4th. SHIP FINDER.
According to the Vessel Finder application, which records the positions of ships in real time based on their quality, there was no boat with passengers in the area clearly threatened by the storm.