PA Media/dpa
London
A passenger on board the Spirit of Discovery died of his injuries after the cruise ship was hit by force 11 winds in the Bay of Biscay, a report of the incident has revealed.
More than 100 guests were injured in the storm on November 4 2023, with eight being taken to hospital when the ship arrived at Portsmouth in Hampshire. An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said one of the passengers treated in hospital later died from their injuries.
Prior to the incident, the Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened and was instead heading towards La Corona when that port was closed because of the conditions.
The ship’s crew took the decision to return to the UK when the ship’s 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 that there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the ship, which had sailed from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands faced force 11 winds and a sea state rated 8 for very high.
