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Dover: Lock and Key of the Kingdom
The Herald of Free Enterprise Disaster
At 6:30pm on Friday 6 March 1987, the cross-Channel roll on
roll off ferry ‘Herald of Free Enterprise’, operated by Townsend
Thoresen, left Zeebrugge in Belgium with 533 passengers and
crew abroad. Some five minute later she had capsized in
shallow water outside the harbour and lay half-submerged on
her port side in complete darkness and extremely cold water.
193 people perished in the United Kingdom's worst peace-time
marine tragedy since the sinking of the ‘Titanic’ in 1912. Some
340 people were saved, in large part due to the actions of the
crew and the heroic and efficient operation of the Belgian
rescue and hospital services.
The ship had capsized so quickly the crew were unable to send
out an SOS. Given that the design and buoyancy of most
modern ships is such that, in the event of an imminent capsize
or other emergency, there should be sufficient time to deploy
lifesaving equipment and fully evacuate, the accident had
serious implications.
roll off ferry ‘Herald of Free Enterprise’, operated by Townsend
Thoresen, left Zeebrugge in Belgium with 533 passengers and
crew abroad. Some five minute later she had capsized in
shallow water outside the harbour and lay half-submerged on
her port side in complete darkness and extremely cold water.
193 people perished in the United Kingdom's worst peace-time
marine tragedy since the sinking of the ‘Titanic’ in 1912. Some
340 people were saved, in large part due to the actions of the
crew and the heroic and efficient operation of the Belgian
rescue and hospital services.
The ship had capsized so quickly the crew were unable to send
out an SOS. Given that the design and buoyancy of most
modern ships is such that, in the event of an imminent capsize
or other emergency, there should be sufficient time to deploy
lifesaving equipment and fully evacuate, the accident had
serious implications.
According to the official enquiry, promptly ordered by the Government,
the fundamental error was that the ship put to sea with its outer and
inner bow doors fully open. As speed built up, a flood of water entered
the vehicle deck and caused the rapid sinking. Blame for the accident
was attributed to four crew members and the Townsend Thoresen
management.
The disaster shook the whole community of Dover and the surrounding
area. There was hardly a family which did not have a family member or
know someone on board the ship, or had family and friends involved in
the cross-Channel trade. There is are memorial windows to the disaster
in the churches of St Mary-the-Virgin in Dover and St Margaret of Antioch
at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe, near Dover.
the fundamental error was that the ship put to sea with its outer and
inner bow doors fully open. As speed built up, a flood of water entered
the vehicle deck and caused the rapid sinking. Blame for the accident
was attributed to four crew members and the Townsend Thoresen
management.
The disaster shook the whole community of Dover and the surrounding
area. There was hardly a family which did not have a family member or
know someone on board the ship, or had family and friends involved in
the cross-Channel trade. There is are memorial windows to the disaster
in the churches of St Mary-the-Virgin in Dover and St Margaret of Antioch
at St Margaret's-at-Cliffe, near Dover.
