A SAGA cruise passenger was killed and more than 100 wounded after a storm battered their ship. The Spirit of Discovery liner was travelling back to Britain in November last year when it was lashed by a 30ft wave. Holidaymakers were ‘screaming for their lives’ as the luxury ship began to veer and shudder in the notorious Bay of Biscay.
Passengers said they were thrown to the ground as the liner was forced to a halt while furniture and crockery flew in every direction. Eight people were taken to hospital once the ship docked in Portsmouth — two days after the storm on November 4. Now, it has been revealed that a passenger later died of their injuries, according to an interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).
It said that the liner faced force 11 winds and a ‘very high’ sea state after setting off from the Canary Islands on the return leg of a two-week cruise. Conditions were so rough that the ship’s propulsion safety system was activated, causing it to veer suddenly to the left. The MAIB report said: ‘At about 12.
30 on November 4, 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 passenge.
