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 Ice Prince photo: Maritime Coastguard Agency by kind permission

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.

click here for contact details of AOS in south west England