One passenger died and over 100 people were injured when a Saga cruise ship was battered by 30ft waves and gale-force winds last year, a new report has revealed.
The Spirit of Discovery had been smashed by winds registering an 11 on the Beaufort scale in the treacherous Bay of Biscay on November 4, 2023, the report says.
Eight passengers were hospitalised when the ship made port in Portsmouth in Hampshire, one of whom later died from their injuries.
And now, an interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has found that the ship cancelled a visit to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands as the weather worsened before the storm.
One passenger died and over 100 people were injured on the Spirit of Discovery
GETTYThe Spirit of Discovery was instead heading to the Spanish port of A Coruna - but the port was then closed because of the conditions.
Its crew decided to go back to the UK when the ship veered to the left and came to a sudden halt after its propulsion safety system was activated in the poor weather.
The MAIB report said there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the ship, which had sailed from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura faced a sea state rate of eight - "very high" seas and waves of up to 14 metres.
The 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.
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The Spirit of Discovery had faced a sea state rate of eight - "very high" seas and waves of up to 14 metres
GETTY"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 passengers were injured. Eight of the seriously injured passengers were taken directly to hospital on arrival at Portsmouth, England, one of whom later died from their injuries."
The interim report says that an ongoing investigation into the tragedy is nearly complete - adding that a full report will then be issued for consultation with the parties involved.
It continued: "The MAIB's investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discovery's loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the onboard response, including analysis of the vessel's intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the onboard response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers."
At the time, operators Saga Cruises said: "Spirit of Discovery was sadly caught in the challenging weather conditions this weekend, as she started her return to the UK.
"The ship remained safe at all times but, due to the impact of the storm, some guests sustained injuries.
"All were treated immediately by onboard medical staff.
"While the weather is clearly beyond our control, we want to offer our sincere apologies to all those affected who are now safely back, having sailed home in calmer seas."
A Saga spokesman had said all those on board had been offered a full refund, adding: "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the family of our guest who died following the storm in the Bay of Biscay last year.
"We are continuing to work with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, supporting their investigation."
