Shipwrecked off South West England
When a cargo ship sank in treacherous weather conditions
off the south west coast of England, AOS lay chaplain Louise
Carter was on hand to offer pastoral care
 The
Devon coast is known for gale force winds and heavy rain
during the winter months. The seas can be both spectacular
and extremely dangerous. In January 2008, the cargo ship Ice
Prince got into difficulties in these waters forcing the
crew to abandon ship. The lives of the crew were seriously
at risk as the ship suddenly "listed" or tilted at an angle
of some 40°.
It is thought that the disaster was caused by the cargo
shifting. The crew of Greek, Ukranian, Romanian and Filipino
seafarers had to cling to the stern of the ship and the
metal work above the bridge as they waited to be rescued.
Eventually they were all airlifted to safety or helped
onboard the lifeboat from nearby Torbay. One of the lifeboat
crew later commented that this was a "once in a lifetime"
rescue as ship could have rolled over on the lifeboat at any
moment in the dangerously wild seas.
Only one member of the crew was physically hurt but all
were deeply traumatised and in shock. They were taken to a
hotel in the port town of Brixham where, within a few hours,
Louise visited them. She reports
“All the crew were wordless, wildeyed and looked very
vulnerable. They were very conscious of media interest and
this made them afraid. They didn’t know whom they could
trust. It was quite humbling to see how the eyes of the
Filipino seafarers lit up and the relieved smiles on their
faces when they heard the words 'Stella Maris'."
All of their possessions, including their passports, were
still onboard the ship. Some did not even have shoes and
socks. The hotel staff had to provide basic clothing.
Twenty-four hours after the crew abandoned ship, the Ice
Prince sank. For the next few days, Louise liaised with the
ship's agents in order to provide the best support for the
crew. She spent time with the crew each day, listening to
them and reassuring them and also brought practical items
such as warm clothing.
One of the crew told Louise that he had been watching a
DVD in his cabin when he suddenly realised that their lives
were in danger. He fled to the stern of the ship, pulling on
his immersion suit as he went. He was very impressed by his
fellow crew members who all reacted calmly and looked after
one another. During the long hours of wait until they were
rescued, he thought of his family, especially his two year
old daughter, and prayed “Jesus Christ protect me”.
Five days later, the crew were all flown home. As Louise
said goodbye to the Filipino crew members, they told her
that they knew Stella Maris was always there for them and
they had known we would come to them when they most needed
help.
Louise said: “It was a privilege to see how this
distressed group of men coped with the trauma of the
incident, the loss of all they had owned on the ship and the
next few days of media interest and investigations with such
quiet dignity. The Holy Spirit was truly present in the
midst of this disaster, her healing presence demonstrated in
the skill, commitment and compassion shown by all those
agencies and individual local people involved in the crew’s
rescue and subsequent care."
Louise praised especially the Torbay Shipping Agents for
their hard work dedication in supporting the crew of the Ice
Prince.
Photograph: The Ice Prince, Maritime Coastguard Agency
by kind permission |