New bid to be made to lift Harbour drama ferries

Date Published: 11-Apr-2011

BY CIARAN TIERNEY

Fresh attempts are to be made at Galway Harbour tomorrow to lift the two ill-fated former Aran islands ferries onto the cargo ship which had its cable sling snap, plunging one of the ferries back into the water, in an accident last Thursday.

A new cable is due in from Amsterdam today (Tuesday) and it is hoped that, weather permitting, the two ferries can be hoisted onto the huge cargo ship tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) is understood to have concluded its investigations into the accident in which three men were injured last Thursday. All three were taken by ambulance to University Hospital Galway, but none of their injuries were said to be serious.

Part of the brief of the investigation includes a probe into why the three local men were on board the Clann na nOileain ferry while it was being lifted onto the 7,000 tonne Danish registered Thor Gritta on Thursday morning.

Harbour management are hugely relieved that the ferry was above water when it fell from a height of about 12 metres (40 feet) into the water, causing what was described as a ‘mini-tsunami’ in the docks. Had it fallen onto the cargo ship, which had a number of crew on deck, the consequences could have been catastrophic.

“The three people should not have been on the ferry at all,” said Harbour Company CEO Eamon Bradshaw yesterday. “Their job was to take it from Rossaveal to Galway, to attach the cable to it, and to get off before it was hoisted onto the cargo ship.

“If it had landed on the Thor Gitta there could have been devastating consequences both for themselves and for the people on the cargo ship. There would have been a number of fatalities. You can replace boats. Thankfully, we are delighted that nobody was badly injured.”

Mr Bradshaw said attempts would be made to hoist the two ferries onto the ship tomorrow, but if the wind conditions are not right the operation could be delayed by a couple of days.

The accident at the docks occurred less than a week after another ship, the 7,000 tonne Pantanal, ran aground on rocks near Rossaveal after it was also brought to Co Galway to collect the two former Aran ferries.

Read more in today’s Connacht Sentinel