WATCH: British cruise passengers left with broken bones following Spanish storm
100 people were injured when the Spirit of Discovery encountered a freak maritime storm in the Bay of Biscay
Almost a thousand passengers feared the end had come on Saturday November 4 when the British cruise liner Spirit of Discovery ran into a violent maritime storm on its way to the Canary Islands. The ship was stranded for hours in the Bay of Biscay as the wind roared and 10-metre waves rocked the vessel like a toy boat, and around 100 passengers were injured.
One terrified witness described the 18-hour ordeal:
“You could hear plates crashing and then there was an announcement from the captain who screamed over the tannoy system as the ship veered. The panic in his voice made everyone else panic.
“The medics were overrun. My mum saw someone being resuscitated, there were broken bones, people on stretchers and people crying including the crew, who were running around frantically trying to help everyone. It was petrifying.
“People were sleeping with life jackets on and writing messages home to loved ones in case we didn’t get back. We’re happy to be alive.”
British cruise ship "Spirit of Discovery" in a storm in the Bay of Biscay (November 2023).
— Andrey (@Andrej78069591) November 9, 2023
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The unpredictable weather forced the captain to make the decision to change course abruptly and seek refuge in Portsmouth, cutting short the two-week cruise.
As a result of the horrific ordeal, part of the ship’s dining room was turned into a make shift medical centre and passengers were asked to remain in their cabins for their own safety.
Saga, the company responsible for the ship assured that, despite the panic of the situation, everything was kept under control.
“The ship remained safe at all times, but due to the impact of the storm some passengers suffered injuries. Everyone was treated immediately by the medical staff on board,” they said in a statement.
The spokesperson added that all passengers will be compensated in the coming days for the “disappointing end” to their cruise.
Image: Cruise118.com
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