Passengers tell of their terror after ferry nearly collides with gas tanker on the River Mersey

Oct 28 2009 by Lorna Hughes, Heswall News

THESE photos shows the dramatic moment a packed ferry nearly collided with a gas tanker on the River Mersey.

Passengers said they thought they were seconds from death as the Friday afternoon sightseeing trip turned to terror.

Around 450 people were on board the Royal Daffodil, which had just left Woodside ferry terminal to view HMS Illustrious.

Mike Wetton, of Marple near Stockport, took one of the pictures from the top deck of the ferry as it appeared to come within feet of disaster.

Teaching assistant Mr Wetton, who was on board with friend Pete Holmes, said passengers were “stunned into silence”.

The 55-year-old said: “All we could see was the tanker Ramira getting nearer and nearer. People were very upset. I thought ‘I’m going to go in’ so I took my rucksack off my back.

“When they both took evasive action, everyone went silent and you could have heard a pin drop. It was a very narrow escape.”

Widower Derek Lussey, 85, who was on the top deck with a friend, said: “It was a wonderful day until that happened – I thought it was our last day on earth.

“We seemed to be going alongside the tanker then the next minute we were going towards it and all you could see was the side of the ship.

“We thought there was no escape, then a horn went off and the ferry and tanker started moving away from each other.

“Nobody was screaming or saying anything. We were absolutely flabbergasted.

“Another five seconds and that would have been it. If we had hit the tanker, I would not have stood a chance.”

A full investigation into the incident is now under way by Mersey Ferries, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, which is responsible for managing navigational safety on the Mersey.

Derek Arnold, a former Merchant Navy seaman and chairman of Liverpool Anchorage Club, said: “The incident clearly demonstrates that despite all the modern sophisticated navigational technology available to mariners, the one piece of visual equipment which remains the most reliable is the human eye, especially when ships are manoeuvring in confined waterways.

“Although the photographs taken from the deck of the ferry show it must have been a heart- stopping moment as the ships passed each other at what may be described as touching distance, it must be remembered distances over water can be deceptive.”