On 6 March 1987 the cross-channel roll-on/roll-off ferry Herald of Free Enterprise sank, with the loss of 186 passengers and crew, soon after leaving Zeebrugge in Belgium, en route for Dover.
People Also Ask
MS Free Enterprise (I) was a cross-Channel ferry operated by Townsend Brothers and later Townsend Thoresen between 1962 and 1980. She was their first purpose built roll-on/roll-off passenger and vehicle ferry. She was sold to Greece in 1980, where she served until being sold for scrap in 2013.
The vessel sank because the inner and outer bow doors had been left open; they had been left open because the assistant bosun, who should have closed them, was asleep in his cabin and did not hear an announcement on the loudspeakers that the ship was ready to sail.
A public court of inquiry into the disaster placed the blame on three of the ferry's staff: assistant boatswain Mark Stanley, who failed to close the bow doors after falling asleep in his cabin during a short break; first officer Leslie Sabel, who failed to ensure the bow doors were closed; and captain David Lewry for ...
The Crown Prosecution Service charged P&O European Ferries with corporate manslaughter in 1989 and seven employees with manslaughter. The case collapsed but it set a precedent for corporate manslaughter being legally admissible in an English court.
Miles and other passengers who survived the disaster 35 years ago now feature in a Channel 5 documentary Why Ships Sink: The Herald of Free Enterprise, which will air tonight. Devastatingly, 31-year-old Martin's body has never been found and was assumed to still be on board, leaving Miles with little closure.
Mark Stanley, the assistant bosun on the day of the tragedy, died in hospital on July 20, aged 58. He had not closed the bow doors when the ship set sail and he had been haunted by the tragedy, which was said to have severely affected his health, working life and family. Mr Stanley had fallen asleep in his cabin.
A combination of procedural errors and oversights and the design of the ferry itself caused the vehicle deck to flood, after the ferry set sail with the bow doors open.
The Herald of Free Enterprise was a roro ferry owned by the former ferry company Townsend Thoresen. She was part of the Spirit Class of ferries and had two other sister ships, the Pride of Free Enterprise and the Spirit of Free Enterprise.
On 6 March 1987, the Townsend Thoresen branded roll on/roll off car ferry Herald of Free Enterprise capsized just outside Zeebrugge's harbour about 25 minutes after departure. A subsequent inquiry determined that the ship's bow doors had been left open allowing water to get onto the car deck.
The Herald of Free Enterprise was bound for the Port of Dover on 6 March 1987 when it capsized at Zeebrugge harbour in Belgium, killing 193 people. A remembrance service was held at St Mary's Church in Dover, and the names of all the passengers and crew who lost their lives were read out.
But only three of them made it back. Their day of fun turned into a day of horror within 90 seconds as the ship capsized, killing 193 people, including Miles' best friend Martin Spooner.
The direct cause of the disaster was human error: the assistant bosun, responsible for closing the bow doors of this roll-on/roll-off ferry, had fallen asleep in his cabin and slept through the alarm telling crew that the ship was sailing.
Within half an hour, the seriously damaged Gateway had turned on its side in the shallow waters and capsized. After an order was made to abandon ship, the crew and lorry drivers ended up in the water. There were 70 people on board. Two lorry drivers and four crew members died that night.
The Herald had 459 passengers, 80 crew members, 81 cars, 47 cargo trucks and three other vehicles. The weather was good. The Herald passed the outer breakwater at 1824 and, about four minutes later, capsized.
At 1805 (GMT) on 6 March 1987, the Herald of Free Enterprise (“Herald”), a roll-on/roll-off passenger and cargo ferry, departed berth 12 in the inner harbour of Zeebrugge, Belgium. The Herald had 459 passengers, 80 crew members, 81 cars, 47 cargo trucks and three other vehicles.
P&O Ferries operates ferries to Zeebrugge. P&O ferries sail from Hull to Zeebrugge daily with an overnight service taking 14 hours 30 minutes. On board there is a choice of bars and restaurants, onboard entertainment including a casino and then sleep the remaining part of your journey in luxury ensuite cabins.