News

Three people on a Fred Olsen cruise ship which is due to berth in Dover tomorrow were flung overboard when the gangplank, on which they were walking became detached during high winds.

The Black Watch had docked at Bilbao in northern Spain when the incident happened at about 2.00pm on Wednesday (29 October) as the passengers were crossing the gangplank.

Strong winds are believed to have caused the ship to break free of its moorings when the gangplank became detached.

Two elderly British tourists and a crew member reportedly fell into the sea. They were said to have been in the water for about ten minutes before being rescued and taken to hospital.

800 passengers are onboard the Black Watch, which is set to return to Dover tomorrow (1 November) from an eight-night cruise around Spain and France.

A spokeswoman for Fred Olsen said: “From the reports I have heard from the ship, it was a very gusty, showery day but this particular gust of wind really hit the ship.

“It is very, very rare for something like this to happen.”

Mike Rodwell managing director, added: “Two passengers and a crew member fell into the water but were rescued within minutes and taken to a nearby hospital.

“We will not release the names of the two passengers until their next of kin have been contacted but I can say that they are not in too great of a condition.”