A passenger on board a cruise died and over a hundred others were injured after the ship was hit by a 30ft wave, a report has revealed.
The Spirit of Discovery liner was travelling back to Britain along the Bay of Biscay on November 4 2023 when it was battered by force 11 winds.
This resulted in eight people being taking to hospital once the ship arrived at Portsmouth in Hampshire.
An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said one of the passengers treated in hospital later tragically died from their injuries.
Prior to the incident, the Spirit of Discovery, operated by Saga Cruises, had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened and was instead heading towards La Corona when that port was closed because of the conditions.
A passenger on board died and over a hundred others were injured after the Spirit of Discovery (pictured) was hit by a 30ft wave, a report has revealed
The Spirit of Discovery liner was travelling back to Britain along the Bay of Biscay on November 4 2023 when it was battered by force 11 winds
The ships crew took the decision to return to the UK when the ships propulsion safety system was activated in the poor weather causing it to veer suddenly to the left, bringing the vessel to a sudden halt.
The MAIB report states that there were 943 passengers and 503 crew on board when the ship, which had sailed from Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands faced force 11 winds and a sea state rated 8 for very high.
It said: At about 1230 on 4 November 2023, the passenger vessel Spirit of Discovery lost propulsion in heavy weather while crossing the Bay of Biscay.
This led to the vessel moving violently while the crew restarted the vessels 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 report continues: The MAIBs investigation has considered all aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of Spirit of Discoverys loss of propulsion in heavy weather and the on-board response, including analysis of the vessels intended passage, preparations for operating in heavy weather, the on-board response to passenger injuries and damage, and the medical treatment of injured passengers.
The interim report states that the investigation is nearly complete and a full report will then be issued for consultation with the parties involved.
Prior to the incident, the Spirit of Discovery (pictured), operated by Saga Cruises, had to cancel a visit to Las Palmas as the weather worsened and was instead heading towards La Corona when that port was closed because of the conditions
Saga Cruises said in a statement following the incident: 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 spokeswoman for Saga said all guests on the trip had been offered a full refund and added: 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.