Goodness, 193 casualties? One little warning light of DOOR OPEN, would have prevented this entire thing...
@JohnDoe-bd5sz6 ай бұрын
Or if they had a callout plan. Can not leave harbor before every crewmember, in charge of something important reports they have performed their duties. "Deck assistant here, doors closed and latched" They would not have gotten that call when he was asleep, so would not have left.
@ilaril6 ай бұрын
Not a foolproof system either. Estonia had warning lights if the bow wasn't locked. Chain is as strong as its weakest link.
@fatovamingus6 ай бұрын
90 seconds? Damn I don't know anything that happens in 90 seconds. Except one thing.
@larsblankenfjell98146 ай бұрын
There are too many Desk/Office people who wright the roles, with no reality knowledges, that's why.
@noconsent6 ай бұрын
@@ilaril right, with the new fifteen minute early requirement from the company operating the ferry would have just made it so they would have ignored the light. Like they ignored the dude responsible for closing the door was missing. Like they ignored speed limits.
@minecachair5 ай бұрын
There were a lot of heroes that day but special mention should be made of passenger Andrew Parker.With the ship turned on its side,walls became floors and everything was topsy turvy.Passengers trying to escape up to the deck had their way blocked by a corridor filled with water.It was on its side and too wide too jump.6ft 4in Mr parker lay across it and acted as a human bridge,allowing more than 20 people to crawl across his outstretched body and up to safety.He was later awarded a well deserved George Medal,the highest civilian recognition for bravery in the UK.
@TheRustyLM3 ай бұрын
THAT is heroism. Thank you for sharing his story. 🙏
@andystreet40223 ай бұрын
I think it's entirely possible that Mr Parker helped the members of a young football team to safety that night. One of those boys was the son of my father's friend who passed away several years ago. The young lad obviously grown up now has a family and I'm sure he would be delighted to hear that Mr Parker received an award. The events you describe are consistent with the story he told of that fateful night.
@johnboyjones20096 ай бұрын
Two of my neighbours died that night - a father treating his young daughter - may they rest in peace. I was involved in manning a helpline, taking details of people searching for information about missing loved ones. My worst call was a woman sobbing down the line totally distraught and unable to speak who eventually just rang off. To this day I can still hear those sobs. It was more than eight hours before I was finally able to confirm news of a survivor to someone. My heart goes out to all involved in this tragedy. Blessings to you all.
@craiggilchrist42235 ай бұрын
Thankyou
@Kroggnagch5 ай бұрын
God bless your heart for doing that job. That must've been, and still likely is, very difficult to live with what with hearing the memories of sorrow in your head. Not everyone could do it. God bless you for finding the resolve inside yourself to do it. You have my utmost respect for your selflessness and performing the duties which had to be done, despite the grim circumstances.
@sasfflegionarmyy19905 ай бұрын
I was due to get on that ship with my Dad, we had been to Germany for work and driving back when I realised I didn't get my paperwork signed, so drove back to the boarder to get it signed, this made us 4 hours late for that boat, we got into the port quite easily so I suspect the ship had only gone over as there was loads of helicopters flying around, later that evening me and my dad was on the first boat out , with all the TV crews on it, I asked my dad to go on deck to look at it when he said he was a sailor in the war and had seen loads of boats sinking in a sad and low tone to his voice, I went on deck as we came out of the harbour walls, it was quite on board and sad, I will never forget seeing that , GOD BLESS TO ALL OF THEM
@johnboyjones20095 ай бұрын
@@sasfflegionarmyy1990 God moves in mysterious ways. May he always move with you.
@drumtracksdirect5 ай бұрын
@@sasfflegionarmyy1990If I remember right, one of my history teachers at school was in Europe and booked to come back on that sailing. For whatever reason, lucky for them, they missed the sailing.
@sid21126 ай бұрын
The response by rescue services was impressive. It's a shame they had no chance to save more. Well done, responders.
@prestiboi6 ай бұрын
Belgian Coast Guard, Navy & Air Force have always been damn good. Whenever a child's missing at our coast, multiple Coast Guard helicopters get dispatches, sometimes Air Force heli's, Navy ships and coast guard boats, all for one child.
@darksu69476 ай бұрын
@@prestiboiYour country's population is like 26 and a half people. I would hope you and your countrymen wouldn't just sit there and let the little dude or dudette drown. 😂
@sid21126 ай бұрын
@@prestiboi As it should be.
@NotExpatJoe6 ай бұрын
The rescue was called off until morning because the tide was coming in. Most of the people onboard died of hypothermia during this time. A proper response from rescue services would have likely saved many of those people.
@roderickcampbell21053 күн бұрын
@@sid2112 Indeed. The responders are very tough courageous folk.
@brianferguson78406 ай бұрын
I was a rescue diver working on recovery in the days after this tragedy. Many victims were in cabins with air space in them. The inquest decided that they hade succumbed to hypothermia being up to the waist in icy water.
@Crashed1319636 ай бұрын
Why was drivers called off work because the water was getting deeper ? That's the whole point of diving gear and underwater lights .
@LindaYariger6 ай бұрын
That's HORRIBLE!!
@doc_law15936 ай бұрын
I remember it well. We thought my brother and his wife were on the ferry. When we got the call to say they were safe was a relief. The tragic loss of life was appalling
@HoChiMinh-5 ай бұрын
Worked with a lad in the 90’s who was also a salvage diver on the herald, we taught recreational diving courses, he couldn’t bring himself to go into overhead environments of any sorts, he told me after about finding bodies in the wreck, it must’ve been horrendous
@ScottT-x1m5 ай бұрын
Me too.
@sarahmarsh3606 ай бұрын
Thank you for pointing out that many crew members responded really well in remaining aboard to carry out rescue work. That's often forgotten.
@G-ra-ha-m5 ай бұрын
With the procedure relying on one man to check, no conformation, was an accident waiting to happen.
@ShiddyFinkelstein6 ай бұрын
No red light on the bridge to indicate the open door? Unforgiveable. Saved a few dollars skipping that simple safeguard.
@9942066 ай бұрын
The idea was mentioned, as concern was given, but it was considered an unnecessary expense, a bit like more lifeboats on the Titanic, the rest is history.
@therasco4006 ай бұрын
Its not just that, its the operation of warn if something wrong, not confirm everything is right. One is reactive, the other is proactive. If the procedure was call the bridge to confirm doors closed it would have acheved the same thing.
@mhead816 ай бұрын
it should be annoying noise like if U don't lock safty belt in car
@9942066 ай бұрын
Of course, after the event happened the fleet installed C.C.T.V. cameras on the bridge, & in the engine control room of all their remaining vessels. During rough weather it was sometimes possible to see water flooding in through poor rubber seals from the outside, slowly filling up the gap between the inner & outer front doors.
@eisenkopf696 ай бұрын
Crews repeatedly demanded such safety measures but were denied. TT really was a shit house as you can see by the "15 minutes early" -letter cited in the video.
@yellowtommytanker5 ай бұрын
We lost 2 children from my old school in the disaster. I never knew them personally but I used to see them around. I do remember the girl who I think was in the year below me was very pretty, she lost her life along with her parents and their neighbors son who they took on the trip with them. Such a sad loss of so many all in the name of corporate greed.
@adamlee37726 ай бұрын
I am really glad you have covered this disaster. My friend and his family survived the Herald by getting stuck in traffic, they missed boarding by minutes. It was his 16th birthday. I have since been fascinated by this disaster and many others, this one though is classic of the "Swiss Cheese Model of Accident Causation." Your presenting of it is exceptional.
@waterlinestories6 ай бұрын
That's lucky
@adamlee37726 ай бұрын
@@waterlinestories we were just talking about it recently. At the time the U.K didn’t have a national lottery. But if it did, you’d buy a ticket after that near miss.
@JohnDoe-bd5sz6 ай бұрын
A little bit like the Partnair Flight 394 disaster The people on board was employees of a Norwegian shipping company. They were going to Germany to see the launching of their new ship and the people on board were the winners in a raffle they had among the employees. In the end, the winners of that raffle were the "losers". All the winners died, while the ones that did not win, won by not being killed in the crash.
@torstenwehnert85496 ай бұрын
So, they were lucky that she left 15 minutes earlier.
@xerxes86326 ай бұрын
@@torstenwehnert8549 Wow, good point.
@Goffels6 ай бұрын
My Dad was meant to be on that ferry but decided to fly home instead, he was in the house watching television when the news came on about the disaster.
@FrancisFjordCupola6 ай бұрын
Wonder how he took it. On one hand I know I'd feel relieved but at the same time devastated. Hope he lives/lived life to the fullest before and after.
@OH2023-cj9if6 ай бұрын
I had been on it months before and as the ship was about 2 miles out, the doors were already opened and we were told to get in the vehicles ready. I remember standing looking through the doors and watching water splashing up. It put me right off using a ferry again.
@sirmalus51536 ай бұрын
@@OH2023-cj9if My parents were on that ship one week before and the doors were open as it went out too sea on their occasion aswell. Everyone who knew about it said how dangerous it was, but the crew took no notice.
@karylhogan57586 ай бұрын
I was at the haourbour, I was traveling home from Stuttgart, I was drunk and decided not to board that ferry as some English on train had annoyed me,I went to pub instead to catch next ship.. my blood ran cold watching it on tv.. I was silent…am shocked now remembering… I possibly drank and shared tins of alcohol to some who died while on train to haourbour🧐
@stephengrimmer355 ай бұрын
@@karylhogan5758you and me both Karyl, I was driving from Frankfurt and missed boarding by around ten minutes.
@joannenorris756126 күн бұрын
Only months before this tragedy I was a young girl on a trip to France with my parents. With my dad we went to the car to collect medication my mum had left in there. On going down those steep and narrow steps taking you into the bowels of the ship there were two doors one straight ahead of us and one to the left. I opened the one straight ahead of us without any problem whatsoever to be met with the waves of the sea. My dad dragged me backwards shut the door shouted to get help and officers that were on that ship came down to where we were. The looks on their faces! The sheer horror of why? How! Where were the safety guards or rails or signs on that door? My parents took it further with the company. But then this happening only months later was horrific. This should never have happened.
@royseaman6 ай бұрын
People in the UK were so disgusted by the attitude of the management of P & O .That major changes to corporate laws where made that held the corporate management liable unless proved otherwise -Which is why UK companies have so many safety courses heath risk management and all procedures to be documented and signed off by all employees. The reality is not to save life but to protect those in senior management who can then pass the buck down while keeping their salaries and hands clean.
@colincampbell7676 ай бұрын
I was 'double hatted' as the company safety manager. I had no problem getting management support for safety training and equipment. Where management fell down was in the enforcement of safety rules. Trivia note: The most dangerous things in a workplace in terms of injuries caused are wheeled chairs and extension cords. Another issue is wet floors. People spill coffee on the floor and don't clean it up the next person walks up to the coffeepot and we have another workplace injury. Dangerous equipment is less likely to cause injury because the people operating it recognize the hazards and typically have to get trained and certified beforehand. Never, ever accept a role that makes you responsible for safety - the extra pay is not worth the headaches.
@theunemployedtrucker6 ай бұрын
You said that perfectly and yeah any work place with ridiculous amounts of health and safety is only there to cover the arses of the employer's if something bad happens because then they can blame it all on the employee and say look we had all the right safety measures in place and all the right paperwork they must have ignored it all that's why there seriously injured or dead.
@colincampbell7676 ай бұрын
@@theunemployedtrucker You are forgetting about the cost of insurance. Cutting down on workplace injuries not only prevents' lost time' costs - it also reduces what a company pays in liability insurance. BTW - the company's refusal to use unpaid time off or even firing employees who commit safety violations sets the company up for legal liability in a civil lawsuit. Allowing a 'permissive environment' is a guaranteed big dollar loss in a lawsuit. The senior management had a bad habit of not firing people. And it isn't senior management who are responsible for safety on a day-to-day basis. This depends on shop leads and foremen enforcing the safety procedures. Back in the 1970s a DC10 airliner crashed after an engine fell off while talking off. Turned out that the line mechanics had come up with an 'easier way' to swap out engines and the 1st level supervisors not only allowed this - but they also didn't notify management of the new procedure. (The only people who can approve 'new procedures are the manufactures.) This is why I'm of the opinion that management need to spend at least 20% of their time walking around the plant. The one who stay in their offices focusing on long-range and high-level stuff - frequently don't know what's going on down on the shop floor.
@lightwoven53266 ай бұрын
See my comments on this feed about how this was endemic in relation to everything around TT.
@JurivonStolzenberg146 ай бұрын
Same corporate protection and passing bucks to staff in private health care in UK. Profits, poor investment, and private paying patients have no clue.
@arablues41426 ай бұрын
These videos are so well put together, no overdramatization, clear facts, the events summarized into easily consumable info without overextending the length, And thank god, no weird deep horror voice narration.
@arablues41426 ай бұрын
@@KeesAlderliesten yes!
@glennac6 ай бұрын
Good observations. 👍🏼 And I appreciate that, while there is music for effect, it’s not exaggerated or overwhelming the the narrator’s voice. Appropriately subtle. Thanks! 🙏🏼
@waterlinestories6 ай бұрын
😀 thanks, I appreciate that
@good1day726Ай бұрын
Well put
@Tconcept6 ай бұрын
The company executives got away with murder...
@JohnSmith-xv1tp6 ай бұрын
I know right? I listened to the court charges thinking, "finally, company execs are getting some real consequences for their actions," only to be slapped in the face and sorely disappointed with "the Judge ordered the jury to acquit."
@karate_girl_ibiza3 ай бұрын
Well Hillsborough didnt do too bd in that case and tht factory fire in Mnchester.. the law wS changed wayyy too late and it was basic safety !
@OswaldJames-x2tАй бұрын
17:00"The judge instructed the jury to acquit."!!.........$hould be a rich man, I'm guessing.😮😮🇬🇾😎
@Stratfordtrucker28113 ай бұрын
As a truck driver, I’ve learned that being in a rush makes bad things happen. Now I just go with the flow, and my life is a lot less stressful and my travel has a lot fewer problems.
@neptunenavalmods44206 ай бұрын
I highly recommend the book "Ninety Seconds at Zeebrugge" if you are interested in this incident. The online version has many interesting colour pictures and ads from TT. It's a good read, but sad. One thing I had never stopped to realize was, that, even though most of the people survived, many of them lost family members, so most families were never the same again. At least one survivor ended himself in 1990 after the trauma became too much to bear.
@emilycampbell57985 ай бұрын
😢 thankyou for sharing. I feel it’s our duty to remember and learn from these horrible events, I’d be interested in reading this book, though no doubt it’ll be a hard read. It’s insane how many of these siblings happen due to cost cutting and rush jobs. Sadly, the men upstairs only care for one thing 💵💰💰💰💰💰it’s so vile. RIP to the poor souls that died in this horrific tragedy and healing prayers to their families and first responders. ❤️🩹
@patrickkelly66915 ай бұрын
I still have some I took from the deck of the sister ship Spirit when we passed by a couple of weeks later, she had been raised upright but was still hull-down in the water then. We had travelled back and forth on these ferries many times before as it was the 'sweet spot' for us to cross Zeebrugge-Dover while I worked in Utrecht, Netherlands
@rupertharrison49775 ай бұрын
I travelled on this ferry on numerous occasions. I was in the British Army in Germany, and regularly crossed between Dover and Zeebrugge. I was a motorcyclist, and motocycles were always loaded last to fill in the gaps along the side of the main car deck. The crews issued us ropes to tie the bikes to the stantions. On every journey without fail, we would already be sailing out of the port whilst I secured my bike, because I watched the harbour lights pass by through the open stern doors!
@mjpla93454 ай бұрын
Vélos motos …..il faut choisir …stop le blabla
@champagnetina4 ай бұрын
My cousin (who was in the British Army) was on his way back from a stint in Germany and him and his pals got drunk and missed the Herald. When they found out what had happened the next day, the volunteered port side to help with the recovery. To this day he has never really opened up about what he saw, only to say that him saw glimpses of bodies of the drowned was the worst thing he had ever seen in his life.
@notmenotme6143 ай бұрын
@@mjpla9345 It makes no difference. So why do you write such a hostile comment that makes you look a bad person?
@thxfrnthn3 ай бұрын
@@mjpla9345shut up frog
@catch22again7 күн бұрын
I can say the same as I served in the army in the 1970,s and had often sailed on this ferry like thousands of other servicemen in BAOR... Couldn't believe it was caused by the door being left open......
@banquetable6 ай бұрын
After this we did get status indicators on the bridge and CCTV covering the doors. The cameras were usually covered in soot and grime from exhaust fumes and the mechanical switches often got stuck and gave false positives. There was no change in the pressure on the crew to do whatever was needed operationally to keep to schedule, constant reductions in crew numbers and increasingly little time for maintenance.
@patrickkelly66915 ай бұрын
I am thinking that the ''Chunnel' just added more pressure to 'reduce overheads'
@tamlandipper294 ай бұрын
Great example of why safety features aren't a substitute for safety culture.
@taniaaustin64335 ай бұрын
We used to sit up on the cliffs at Dover and used to watch ferries going across the channel the bow of the ferries used to lift up. You wouldn't believe the amount of ferries that crossed the channel with the bow up all the way across. I was on a school trip once and when we went to get the coach the doors were wide open with the sea was coming right up to the opening at the bow. We did actually come back from Zeebrugge on the Herald of the Free Enterprise. I really didn't like that ferry at all. It kind of freaked me out. That would have been about 4 years before the disaster.
@joemaserati66396 ай бұрын
It’s even worse when lost of life is completely avoidable! Thank you for another well explained great video!
@Fcutdlady6 ай бұрын
I remember travelling to Holyhead with my family from Dun Laoghaire port in Dublin Ireland on a Sealink ferry a year after this disaster. I remember the captain announcing, "I can confirm the bow doors are shut"
@PeterRapley-gv5vt5 ай бұрын
To quote Dad's words, "God comfort the bereaved and have mercy on the souls of those who died. Amen."
@lightwoven53266 ай бұрын
I remember this with horror. For several reasons. I was part of the team who analysed the hydraulic oil that closed the doors. All our signed notebooks were brought out, and we were summoned to a meeting. The manager however, who we called Ivor as 'Ivor, just got to this meeting' decided to go to his other meeting, so I took it upon myself to publicly to dress him down! He, therefore came to this meeting. I was not popular. As we listened to a tirade of abuse, which was common, it was eventually decided that our results showed no issues. Because of the abuse I decided that I would leave that company and moved to another company. The shock of being told, not only about the disaster, but also we would be thrown under the bus if they thought it was necessary. Enough said, after nearly 40 years, this still haunts me. The lack of care didn't just stop at TT.
@Jasper_44445 ай бұрын
Yuck. Thanks for sharing.
@cathycooper56064 ай бұрын
So sad to read this
@LucasWRIGHT-u5b4 ай бұрын
JUST GOES TO SHOW BROTHER.THERE ARE SCUMBAGS IN POSITIONS THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT BEING IN...OUTRAGEOUS...ABSURD...UNBELIEVABLE..THE AMOUNT OF BULLSHIT YOU HAD TO TAKE...UNBELIEVABLE.
@karate_girl_ibiza3 ай бұрын
Well thats a load of tripe… like farming again
@neilvenners3309Ай бұрын
Thank you for the video and showing the respect this incident deserves. I recall this as a teenage boy. Your explanation has helped me understand what went on that day and subsequent days thereafter. It’s still quite unbelievable that this could have happened. That leaving the port no one radioed the ferry to inform them the bow doors were open. To think that no persons responsible were convicted is awful…
@adamfrazer51506 ай бұрын
The ever-popular trend of forcing the people doing the actual work to do more with less is intolerable in most cases, be it a restaurant, office or wherever customers go to get short-changed on a product or service. In scenarios where loss of life is a real possibility, there are boardrooms full of specimens that don't deserve to share the same species as the rest of us.
@meckelbu6 ай бұрын
It's like with maintenance, you can falsely gain savings for a while by cutting resources and people because you'll be able to coast by temporarily, but eventually something will give because people burn out and duties will slip the same as how machines wear out.
@adamfrazer51506 ай бұрын
@@meckelbu 100% 👍 and the blame typically falls on those who tried their best
@ejo19965 ай бұрын
that is such an unobjectionable statement. people who see others as just a means to generate revenue and nothing else are in my mind the worst kind of life form.
@timothycasey47382 ай бұрын
While I was in the US Navy all 🚢 crewmembers had to learn ALL 💯 % aspects of command.
@robertkimmins40045 ай бұрын
I was on my way from the Netherlands to catch the Herold and stopped to call my wife. We had a row, so I turned back and booked into a hotel. She never let me forget that she "likely saved my life".
@seti485 ай бұрын
Did you bring her flowers and a thousand pound gift card?
@lucyhardy-styles-shield27285 ай бұрын
You'd better have spoilt her for that, she really did save your life with that argument
@russ2545 ай бұрын
no doubt she “saved his life” twice a day after that!
@davidosullivan63516 ай бұрын
Yet again executives putting pressure on staff forcing them to cut corners for profit and not follow proper safety checks
@IHWKR6 ай бұрын
Yep. I've learned this channel that it is more than common on water. It's some kind of phenomenon.
@sarikagoode15056 ай бұрын
Tale as old as time.
@M167A16 ай бұрын
BS basic failure to perform essential duties.
@mxecho6 ай бұрын
Being asleep at your post is not the fault of executives or a prompt departure. Having no door position indicator on the bridge & the captain leaving without a status report is nuts. Being aware of a problem and not communicating it regardless of your current responsibility is a critical error for any officer. An officer wittiness a man missing at his post & a bulkhead in a wrong position. With a single radio communication, we would never tell this story.
@JohnDoe-bd5sz6 ай бұрын
@@IHWKR I have read about this accident before and i believe the crew had asked for CCTV to be installed so that the people on the bridge could see if the doors were closed, but that was dismissed as they did not feel there were no need, as they had people on the deck that was responsible for that. The craziest thing to me is, why was there not a simple door latch switch to show that the door was closed and the latch engaged. Sort of like on airplanes where they have an indicator that wheels are down and locked, because they can not physically see the wheel status from the cockpit.
@adriancleveland4838Ай бұрын
We used to travel on this ferry a couple of times a year, I still have a picture of me and my then girlfriend leaning on the railings as we sailed with not a care in the world, couldn’t imagine the horror that this could bestow upon us. I can plainly remember leaving port with the bow visor up on one ferry, asking my dad if it wasn’t a good idea to close it…
@alepaz10996 ай бұрын
"make all efforts to be sure that you leave 15 minutes early" what could possibly go wrong? 🤷♂
@kvantkissen66166 ай бұрын
It's an amazing piece of irony that a ship called the "Herald of Free Enterprise" was laid low by the reckless profit-seeking of its owners and operators.
@ostrich676 ай бұрын
@@kvantkissen6616 Ironic? No, that is exactly what unregulated capitalism is, reckless profit-seeking.
@alvaroasi6 ай бұрын
@@ostrich67 No matters the "philosophical system" that runs your country. Awful people do awful things.
@LindaYariger6 ай бұрын
@@alvaroasiTRUTH.
@clareclark65355 ай бұрын
That still happens.
@JohnMcPhersonStrutt5 ай бұрын
As bad as this disaster was, it would have been worse if it had happened in deep water, and hadn't settled on the sand bar.
@slimrat34225 ай бұрын
Basically the Estonia disaster, which killed over 80% of passangers.
@keefymckeefface83305 ай бұрын
@@slimrat3422 Ro-Ros have a tendency to sink frighteningly fast once they start going.
@jessstone74866 ай бұрын
Absolutely appalling - the negligence, and the (even worse) dismissal of charges!
@johnbarnes93795 ай бұрын
My lovely dear school friend died unnecessarily on this herald tragedy , forever in my thoughts J. Reader x
@zeusuk1003 ай бұрын
I'm no naval architect, but it always struck me as insanely stupid putting large doors just above the waterline at the most vulnerable part of a ship
@The_Big_Blue_Bug_of_Justice5 ай бұрын
I remember this so vividly. I was 7 years old when it happened, but it’s always stuck with me. I remember BBC news having extensive helicopter coverage of it at first light. So many people praise the 80’s as being this fun decade of entertainment, but the flip side was so dark. So many of these man made catastrophes happened in that decade. So many lives were lost through negligence and profiteering.
@scooby19924 ай бұрын
The 80s were great for music and life was simpler then ( I am a bit older than you , just starting work aged 18 in 1987 ) . But , yes , there were loads of disasters . This one , Hillsborough , the Kings Cross fire , Piper Alpha , Lockerbie , Kegworth , the Bradford City Fire .
@robertself97062 ай бұрын
My feeling exactly. Though born in the USA, I was hired by the BBC in the early-80's. The music and vibes in Britain were great.....but OH THE DISASTERS. George Michael posters on the tube advertising "I will be your father figure"....check. Dozens of people killed at King's Cross on a wooden escalator (and I loved those wooden escalators!) ....check. IRA bombs going off? We got that too! Pet Shop Boys and stadium disasters? We got'em all!
@JillousaАй бұрын
With regards to '80s being dark,, Challenger. They launched when it was too cold for the o-rings and engineers warned them. They knew about the concerns
@The_Big_Blue_Bug_of_JusticeАй бұрын
@ worst part is that they didn’t die instantly. They estimate they were very much aware of the situation for several seconds 😐
@hotline_miiami6 ай бұрын
Y’all know the saying, “go to bed at sea, wake up in Davy Jones’ Locker .”
@patrickkelly66915 ай бұрын
Only time I did that I ended up in Hoek Van Holland
@Karagianis6 ай бұрын
To be fair blaming the entire thing on one overworked crewman falling asleep is a little unfair. This tradgedy was caused by undermanning, the crew were trying to do too many jobs at once and no one had time to check on each other's work. The cheif officer was literally required by the company to be in two places at once. He had to oversee loading and prepare the car deck for departure, and be on the bridge before departure, and there was no time in the schedule for him to move between these stations, And he's under pressure to not delay the ship, he needed to leave before seeing the doors shut to have any chance of doing that.
@arvindkumar-ys8yb4 ай бұрын
Great video. Most important changes this tragic incident brought was the IMO introducing the ISM code which has led to almost exponential increase in safety of life at sea.
@waterlinestories4 ай бұрын
👍🏻
@matteframe6 ай бұрын
how on earth wasn't there a signal light on the bridge that showed the doors were open??
@Me-zo8yc6 ай бұрын
My car beeps at me if a door is even left slightly ajar but apparently doors on a boat don't matter 🤔
@Tom-sg4iv6 ай бұрын
@@Me-zo8yc But your car isn't from 1980
@MortenK656 ай бұрын
From the wiki: 'It was thought frivolous to spend money on equipment to indicate if employees had failed to do their job correctly'
@Me-zo8yc6 ай бұрын
@@Tom-sg4iv my car that i did have from 1980 had switches on the doors for the interior lights
@FonikosGazmas6 ай бұрын
@@MortenK65 And what if the crew did its job perfectly but the door didnt latch on properly and opened after they left thinking it was closed? It has already happened multiple of times... So basicially whatever excuse for not putting a sensor/light is bunch of bs...
@nexaentertainment27646 ай бұрын
Idk what it is about you, but out of all the nautical story/disaster channels out there, you just have such a unique cadence and story-telling style. I like it so much. Plus your research is super great from what I've seen! Still loving the videos :) Thank you! Thinking about it, it might be the way you have a knack for explaining things. -To me-, it's just right, perfect! Edit: If you're looking for small suggestions/nitpicks, your room audio seems to have a veeeery slight echo! I'm sure you're aware tho! And it's not at all distracting imo
@waterlinestories6 ай бұрын
Thanks. I appreciate the thoughtful comment. Room echo. I know and am trying to add acoustic foam. It's a new room Doo takes a little change in setup.
@brainsurfer70279 күн бұрын
Great video! Loved how it concisely explained the Herald of Free Enterprise tragedy and its role in the creation of the ISM Code. Clear storytelling and impactful facts-well done!
@6AlphaMikeCharlie93 ай бұрын
What a disgusting and sad ending to that story.. And they call it the justice system..
@InspectorGadget9236 ай бұрын
I'm rather surprised no one at the port saw the bow doors opened and reported it. Perhaps a layman might not understand the significance, but surely there are experienced sailors or dock workers around.
@pvdppvdp66386 ай бұрын
That was a common thing in those times. Many react with disbelief because they can often (due to their age) only compare with today's standards.
@theunemployedtrucker6 ай бұрын
You don't need to be an expert on shipping to know that a bloody great big door wide open on a ship is not a good mix with water, weather your a layman or not 😂
@PeedPeeBody6 ай бұрын
@@theunemployedtruckerwhat I was thinking 🤔
@brianferguson78406 ай бұрын
Pitch dark, middle of winter.
@foxstrangler6 ай бұрын
It was not uncommon for the ferries to sail with the doors open, it helped clear the exhaust fumes from the decks. My brother in law was second officer on TT's Felixstowe-Zeebrugge service, those vessels had a visor type bow door with an internal watertight door, clearly visible from the bridge. We got a call from him that night to confirm it was not his vessel, and that they never sailed with the bow doors open. Even bow visors were not foolproof, hence the loss of the Estonia in heavy seas when the bow visor failed.
@hill_skills6 ай бұрын
When I was in the Royal Navy I served on Sir Tristram which is/was a Landing Ship Logistic (LSL). We were told that if there was 6 inches of water on the Tank Deck, she would roll over in 22 seconds.
@KiwiSentinel6 ай бұрын
free surface effect is a great danger on ships with 'vehicle' decks.
@allanp44375 ай бұрын
@@KiwiSentinelI was just about to mention that. 😊👍
@patrickkelly66915 ай бұрын
Guess that's a different Sir Tristram from the one I knew, her and the Galahad, bad memories there too 😟
@johnrhodes335049 минут бұрын
@@patrickkelly6691I like to imagine Bluff Cove shouldn't have happened. Did you have kit at hand, like tents that could have allowed survival ashore, rather than be sitting ducks
@desmondbello41442 ай бұрын
I find it strange that no one from the shore spotted the doors were open & radio'd the ship to inform them.
@simonfletcher8972Ай бұрын
I had a work colleague whom said this was common practice. He remembers standing there one week before and seeing this. TT was criticized as “sloppy” top down from the enquiry😭
@Jas-ym8dz6 ай бұрын
The full report into the disaster is available to read online. Makes for quite shocking reading
@chuckselvage31576 ай бұрын
Thanks for this. Very informative. The incompetence was astounding. RIP to the passenger who lost their lives.
@jordanrussell3456 ай бұрын
Thanks for the video! Always look forward to your releases. I know I say this all the time but thank you!
@waterlinestories6 ай бұрын
I appreciate it all the time🤣 honestly it's great to know you like it
@Transilvanian905 ай бұрын
What a complete clusterf*ck of failures. Crew asleep, other crew just assuming critical items were completed without verifying, corporate pressure to rush departures, crew being changed so they know their ship less, no indicator lights on the bridge to show the bow doors were open, nobody outside noticing the door open, no training for quick evacuation... And of course everyone got off scot-free because of badly written legislation and (likely) judicial corruption. Absolutely unforgivable...
@Timothyshannon-fz4jx5 ай бұрын
This was a classic case of everyone assuming that everyone was doing there job properly and NO ONE bothered to check, it would have taken less than 1 minuite.
@AllanHumphreys5 ай бұрын
My dad was on this ferry 12 hours before it sunk. He was a truck driver heading into Europe.
@aussietruckphotosandmodels85103 ай бұрын
Is your dad Billy ?
@AllanHumphreys3 ай бұрын
No mate Allan
@AllanHumphreys3 ай бұрын
Worked for Tolona
@deandavies8531Ай бұрын
If I'm right there was a few cavewood drivers on it aswell
@michaelcauser4745 ай бұрын
Thank you for bringing this tragedy to the World. As someone who spent most of the first 19 years of my life around Dover I knew of the ferries across to France etcetera. I left the country in 1967, arriving in Australia in 1980, but I knew nothing of this incident, even though my family still lives in the same village just outside the town. It is heart breaking to find out these facts now. Thank you again for enabling me to learn about this tragedy.
@alanhill43345 ай бұрын
The duty officer should never have left the vehicle deck without ensuring that all doors were secure. Basic seamanship !
@peterlogan16235 ай бұрын
I travelled on this ferry many times and I remember it used to leave Zeebrugge with the bow and aft doors open. When I questioned the safety of that the reply from a crew member was " We leave the doors open to clear the deck of exhaust fumes "
@U2QuoZepplin3 ай бұрын
Wow. You don't hear much about the rescue opperation but it sounds like a herculean effort . Despite this effort far too many people died because three men failed to their job of making sure their clients were safe.
@patriciam.12043 ай бұрын
People were heroic in their efforts. It was actually so cold that day it snowed all day in the uk, it was freezing. That has to have something to do part in the loss of life. There was a lot of cost cutting on RoRo boats at time it was the same on the holyhead to Dublin route these ships would be full most of the time and lateness costs. It was a time you always took your car to the uk or Europe. It was before the cheaper flights had caught on. As a normal family with family in the uk and continent we would be on a ferry with our car at least 4 times a year. They were safer after this happened imo.
@FredGandt6 ай бұрын
I went on a school trip from England, via Dover, to France, fairly sure Boulogne-sur-Mer, crossing the Channel on one of the Free Enterprises, not long before this tragedy. I was just shy of 13-yo when we watched this unfold on the TV news, and I remember clearly the cold, hollow thought, "I was on that ship". Now, I couldn't be sure on which I crossed the channel, but I remember the crossing very well; it was a very rough day, and the as the ship rocked in all directions, I stood in the most central spot I could find and watched all my classmates and other passengers falling around and throwing up like it was the last days of Rome and they'd just finished the wine! It was hilarious! The lives lost, trauma inflicted and families destroyed because of this insane catalogue of errors was a disgusting travesty that should have never happened. Interesting video. Well produced. Good job :)
@sid21126 ай бұрын
Went to bed?!? And nobody wondered about it? Damn, that's a huge failure of discipline.
@JohnDoe-bd5sz6 ай бұрын
I wonder if he was one of the people that perished in the disaster.
@stanislavkostarnov21576 ай бұрын
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz no, he was I think one of the only people who got any significant time behind bars (not as a convict I believe, but, he did spend something like 9 months in pre-trail confinement)... though not highlighted, he briefly appears as one of the faces in the trail photos of this video... he was the only one who was not an officer, and therefore protected by a different union. the officers union put a lot of pressure to make the judge allow a Bail agreement.
@stanislavkostarnov21576 ай бұрын
he was supposed to go to bed, as the time in port was his sleep break however he did not wake up for his shift, I believe due to a faulty alarm clock in the cabin he was assigned
@sid21126 ай бұрын
@@stanislavkostarnov2157 Even so, wouldn't the Master and Second know he was supposed to be at a spot he wasn't? I'm not going to say I would have looked, but I'm also not responsible for 300 souls and crew.
@stanislavkostarnov21576 ай бұрын
@@sid2112 the problem was, with the tiny crew that they allowed to operate this ship, each member of crew was supposed to be at a different part of the ship, and, it was standard for that position to be empty when the second came there (as the previous person manning the car deck loading was already supposed to be on the Bridge (looking out for small vessels as the ship began maneuvers in the harbor) by the start of the seconds shift when he should have closed those doors) thus the Load-master, never would see the second come down in normal circumstances...
@DeadBaron6 ай бұрын
Not illegal to have the doors open, but it IS illegal to be grossly negligent and get people killed. Anyone else smell something rotten about that judge?
@DaveSCameron6 ай бұрын
100% yes, I used to cross on these ships regularly during those years and they were intrinsically negligent and it stinks, having said that I had good friends at Hillsborough and nearly went myself so I’m fully briefed about corruption and the protection of the most important people and even money over the likes of me and you my friend. Best wishes. ☘️🙏
@Mike-cq2kj5 ай бұрын
Yesmy TAKE on thatjudgement was that the short section of the rules misrepresented the real facts of this case , surely the Vessel setting sail whilst still in Balast was a major failure , of ships security ; I recall something about the Shipping Company being a political donor and that Politics had a bearing on the verdicts ? but cannot recall itall now :
@keefymckeefface83305 ай бұрын
@@DaveSCameron oh man- the final Hillsborough verdict is absolutely perverse.
@brianfreeman82906 ай бұрын
Had I not been rushed into hospital with a serious medical condition, my wife, two children and I would have been on that ship. When I heard the news, I sobbed.
@Timothyshannon-fz4jx5 ай бұрын
There by the grace of God go you, and your family, sometimes in taking a hit, we avoid a wipeout, you were so lucky, so was your family.
@Barkmann945 ай бұрын
You can be whoever you want on the internet though
@Timothyshannon-fz4jx5 ай бұрын
@@Barkmann94 Two years in the Merchant Navy as a cadet Sir, it takes team work AND effective communication to take a ship to sea safely, take it from someone who knows
@jonhall90005 ай бұрын
@@Barkmann94 And you chose troll
@Barkmann945 ай бұрын
@@jonhall9000 thats a random profile picture bro that ain’t me I hope you’re okay though
@andrewcalladine25076 ай бұрын
The fact that the company and the crew who were all tried for manslaughter were all acquitted, goes to show how weak the law in the UK is.
@chrisclarke96375 ай бұрын
And P&O's more recent illegal activities weren't punished either: they keep getting away with it.
@thrusta1005 ай бұрын
And a man has just been sentenced to jail in Britain for reposting a “ racist “ tweet! Bizarre!
@danieleregoli8123 ай бұрын
Not just in the UK sadly. Italy is the same, if not worse. Italy has suffered unmentionable man-made disasters who have remained unpunished, without a single culprit.... Cue the sinking of the Moby Prince, the downing on the ITAVIA DC-9, or the bombing of Bologna train station...
@samil56013 ай бұрын
That is Free Enterprise, for you.
@harbor.boundary.flight6 ай бұрын
"It's not an offence for a RORO ferry to go to sea with it's bow doors open"... but it's probably not a good idea.
@G-ra-ha-m5 ай бұрын
It's unseaworthy, and therefore illegal.
@johnwely5 ай бұрын
Bow doors or stern doors should not be open until harbour limits, then with caution.
@cathycooper56064 ай бұрын
Why would this even be allowed ??
@JayDee-kw8oz2 ай бұрын
@@cathycooper5606 it was cheaper to pay off the judge than the families
@simonreeves828Ай бұрын
Think you'll find it is
@dracorex4266 ай бұрын
Personally, I'd be extremely pissed if I missed a ferry because it left 15 minutes early.
@EmptyPeace6 ай бұрын
And Then you learned it sank and how would you feel then? "pissed"? . Doubtful.
@dracorex4266 ай бұрын
@@EmptyPeace I mean that telling your employees that you expect them to leave fifteen minutes early is stupid.
@jacksmith77266 ай бұрын
I'd assume they want you to arrive long before that to get all the vehicles loaded
@NotExpatJoe6 ай бұрын
@@dracorex426 The Bridge and Navigational Procedures manual issued by the company operating the Herald include the following statement: "The officer on watch (OOW)/ captain must be on the bridge by no later than 15 minutes before departure." It doesn't say anything about leaving early. In fact the ship left 5 minutes late on that night.
@stephendavies69495 ай бұрын
Not if it was this particular one.
@PatGill-tu6oq6 ай бұрын
I used the Zeebrugge route monthly as a freight driver and missed being on that crossing by 3 or 4 days, I feel that you have missed a few important points, they often left the bow visor / ramp open to clear the vehicle decks of fumes, closing it before leaving the outer harbour, so it was not unusual to see the Herald sailing with the front open! As I understand / remember it, at that time there was an occupational (for the crew) duty free drink allowance that could not be taken ashore, it had to be consumed on the vessel. The freight drivers cabins were on the very lowest deck, each side of the propeller shaft, a very long way down several flights of stairs, the crew member who was supposed to be in charge of the freight drivers cabins was often found asleep in a cabin so we often did not get a wake up call when arriving in Dover, he would have been no help in an emergency!
@thematt67056 ай бұрын
The judge directed the jury to acquit because "there's nothing in the rule book says I can't set sail with those doors open" even though lives were lost because they placed a higher priority on profits than human lives. Yeah, sounds like completely legit, totally not corrupt behavior to me, sure.
@zombiedoggie27326 ай бұрын
There's always a first time.
@justesbad6 ай бұрын
Wonder if the judge bought a Rolls Royce or a Bently from the "gift" given to him after the trial...
@superboats25 ай бұрын
@@justesbad Both.
@_Ben48105 ай бұрын
But it was common practice back then...I distinctly remember going on a cross channel ferry school trip in the early 80's, as we were departing in the evening gloom, we saw another ferry outside of the seawalls & harbour in open waters coming in at full speed with it's bow doors fully open & a couple of crew stood at the front in the open gap on the transport deck.. i think we might have even waved at them...!
@3sierra155 ай бұрын
The the accident investigation concluded that poor workplace communication and stand-off relationship between ship operators and shore-based managers was the root cause of the capsizing, and identified a "disease of sloppiness" and negligence at every level of the corporation's hierarchy. This describes many non-profit organizations, and even some national economies where profits are forbidden. Given this, the wreck can hardly be an indictment of the profit motive. It would be more accurate to blame it on fallible human nature.
@cbhlde6 ай бұрын
Besides "What's going on with shipping" one of the best maritime channels around! ;) Thanks, Mate!
@glennhardacre53666 ай бұрын
Good video and information, just a pity the graphics kept showing the stern doors open
@karlbassett84855 ай бұрын
My thought too. Several times in this video the graphics showed the stern doors open and facing the dock while talking about the bow doors being open.
@danmoney99324 ай бұрын
Came looking for this comment, well spotted. The graphics were wrong. water entered through the bow doors.
@SamBroadway6 ай бұрын
I am really enjoying this channel. It is new to my subscriptions. One day I hope to find time to go back and watch the entire playlist.... One day that is my goal!
@waterlinestories6 ай бұрын
🤣 thanks. Welcome aboard
@ald11446 ай бұрын
A few years ago I took an overnight ferry from Pireaus to Santorini. I found myself thinking things like can I bust this cabin window out if I need to, which is the fastest way to the deck and how do I and the family navigate it in the dark, how professional is this crew? I blame/credit channels like this.
@antonrudenham32596 ай бұрын
I've worked at sea for 36 years and what you do is perfectly correct, one of the first things all seafarers do when they join a new ship is to eyeball escape routes, you should be congratulated for your common sense, well done mate.
@gayprepperz68626 ай бұрын
Especially if you're taking a Greek ferry. They're notorious, especially the crews.
@eliz_scubavn6 ай бұрын
I’m trained as a rescue diver and do similar, including assessing where all the emergency oxygen and first aid supplies are (I’m first responder trained too).
@antonrudenham32596 ай бұрын
@@eliz_scubavn Right on friend, it's not paranoid to be aware of your surroundings. This kind of common sense thinking should be encouraged.
@Strype136 ай бұрын
1) Probably not 2) The crowded/cramped/cluttered hallway you came in through 3) You don't 4) Probably not as professional as you would hope Why such pessimism? I, too, blame/credit channels like this.
@alanchandler254Ай бұрын
This was frightening, had returned on the Herald to Dover on the early morning sailing after a gymnastics camp . Couldn't believe it at first, just thankful it happened by the sandbanks. I unfortunately lost several friends in the disaster. Still both my daughter and son in law went onto work on the P&O ferries.
@762Super6 ай бұрын
You are killing it! Videos just get better and better.
@waterlinestories6 ай бұрын
Thanks brutha🤟🏻
@wouteranthierens6 ай бұрын
The grandfather of my kids was a rescue diver in the Belgian Navy. He was called to the rescue that day, only to recover corpses. He never talked about it afterwards.
@Strype136 ай бұрын
I don't understand how such a massive, complex feat of engineering could be designed without a simple indicator light letting crew in the wheelhouse know that the friggin' cargo bay doors are wide open. These vessels cost tens of millions of dollars to construct... just to be relegated to the bottom of the ocean because someone couldn't be bothered to install what essentially amounts to a $5 piece of equipment and a couple of door sensors.
@jackjames31905 ай бұрын
Even the titanic of 75 years earlier had light indicators on the bridge showing that it’s watertight doors has all closed successfully - sadly the compartments themselves were not watertight but it does make it even more staggering that such an omission occurred at all.
@notmenotme6143 ай бұрын
True. The electrical circuit is so basic it’s literally a day 1 school project. Electrical power source - switch - lightbulb -
@VictorromainАй бұрын
I used to work for Townsend Thoresen as a ship's cook and was working on the Pride of Free Enterprise the night the Herald went down when I first heard the news. We were on our way back to Dover, from Calais. Of note...not one of the Herald's galley crew made it out of that doomed ship alive. May all of those who so tragically lost their lives that night rest in eternal peace!
@Citroeniste6 ай бұрын
Well done video as usual!
@waterlinestories6 ай бұрын
👌🏻 thanks for that
@nickbrown64573 ай бұрын
So scary, me and my family used to travel in this ferry every year to Europe. I'm so glad we weren't on the ferry that day.
@UncleHo56 ай бұрын
I m a seaferer with some years on board of ships. I m not though familiar with RoRo ships but even though a water ingress alarm should have been installed on the lower decks with possible openings to the water. Bilge wells with high level alarms and connections with the bilge pumps ( automatic start?) along the deck- not clear if they were installed from new build. As a professional seafarer i can confirm that the pressure exists. Go,go go, faster faster is always there.
@JohnDoe-bd5sz6 ай бұрын
A simple CCTV camera, connected to a monitor on the bridge would have shown the doors to be open as well..
@UncleHo56 ай бұрын
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz year was 1987, way before the WiFi and WiFi cameras. This days, yes, we have cameras everywhere including the smoke stacks
@JohnDoe-bd5sz6 ай бұрын
@@UncleHo5 No one would use Wifi in that scenario anyway, back then CCTV cameras using Coax was certainly a thing. Not HD / 4K and so on, but more than ample to see if a big part of the back of the ship was closed or not.
@UncleHo56 ай бұрын
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz yes, coax is still used on the outside decks, engine room, bridge, ECR. But some places are using small WiFi cameras. At least in our case.
@JohnDoe-bd5sz6 ай бұрын
@@UncleHo5 But in 1987 all they had was coax. I would have thought all things camera related would be LAN based and PoE powered
@7henke73 ай бұрын
My wife my son and I went on the sister ship to Ireland two weeks after the Zeebrugge disaster that one was called the spirit of free enterprise.
@seancidy60085 ай бұрын
No. The chief officer was the backstop; he left his post improperly, and on reaching the bridge failed to mention the door was still open to the captain.
@user-tj7nb9fu9t5 ай бұрын
Declared "Not guilty " like always in this events in USA,Britain..
@beverlyreiner-baillargeon62056 ай бұрын
Another great video from my favorite site. Love you telling me a good story. Happy day 😉😉❤😉😉
@waterlinestories6 ай бұрын
😂 sweet dreams
@THEedcbb36 ай бұрын
My first thought was this was going be about a dive instructor doing a huge group lesson
@thesketchydude13153 ай бұрын
what's quite odd to me is this same style of bow/stern clamshell arrangement has been used MAAAAAAANY times around the world but you don't really see incidents like this, even here in Canada all the BC Ferries have this same style (aside the smaller ones and the second hand foreign built ones operating in the northern route) and all the incidents we've had here have been due to groundings, collisions, or major human error COUGHqueenofthenorthCOUGH even in places like east asia its VERY common to see ferries with no doors at all, just a ramp that is raised or lowered, and I'm pretty sure they aren't even water-tight, but 99% of the time even if they do sink it will be nothing to do with that and will be something like fire
@dougrockar27796 ай бұрын
This is a great telling of a sad tragedy! I am confused however. Why does the story refer to the bow doors being open when the description, the graphics, the pictures, and direction of travel show the stern doors are open? Am I missing some unique terminology for RoRo ferries?
@HertsCommuter5 ай бұрын
I believe that the graphics are wrong.
@hugoagogo94355 ай бұрын
Forgot and being young at the time probably didn’t appreciate the scale of this disaster. As you described the events I could almost feel the panic when you said the lights went out. What an awful situation to be in
@mids90016 ай бұрын
I'm surprised that there wasn't anyone in the pilothouse who was supposed to get positive confirmation that the doors were closed. Going on "it should be closed" is way to dangerous.
@ostrich676 ай бұрын
Everybody thought it was somebody else's job.
@Me-zo8yc6 ай бұрын
Another engaging and informative video, thank you
@michaelofarrell96376 ай бұрын
I re member passing this ferry. 1 month after. This disaster truly haunting site...the. doors being opened was a cost saving measure they wanted to save money using extract fans. To get rid of exhaust fumes below leave Bow doors open..the rest is history
@tullochgorum63235 ай бұрын
Multiple cockup: 1) Company fail - too much pressure for a quick turnaround 2) Designer fail - no warning light on the bridge. 3) Crew fail - dereliction of duty by bosun and officer on car deck 4) Captain's fail - breaks safe speed limit. Catastrophically unprofessional.
@cathycooper56064 ай бұрын
Totally agree
@doggovision87656 ай бұрын
Improvements include bow door indicator lights installed on the bridge.What a great idea.
@brianferguson78406 ай бұрын
It's difficult to understand these tragedies with hindsight but until it happens these events are impossible to imagine. Who would have thought before the Bradford city football club fire that people could burn to death in a "wide open" football stand ? Or that an underground station with nothing flamable in its tiled tunnels could burn like a furness. Until Kings Cross.
@prestiboi6 ай бұрын
This got so so much more interesting when you said it's from Zeebrugge. I'm from Belgium and I didn't know such a severe accident ever happend on our coastline.
@karlbassett84855 ай бұрын
My brother lived in Brussels at the time and said it was huge news there.
@johnnewington37985 ай бұрын
Good Documentary, I worked in industry and used this example my whole career, emphasising the absolute need for a “Positive Reporting” culture, for those that do not understand this concept, it’s like commonly installed, understood and practiced in the aeronautical industry, (except it appears, in parts of the Boeing organisation). So with this culture, if the captain used a positively reporting process, he could not leave, until he had positive confirmation that bow doors were closed and locked, whereas the system this company and this captain used, was not positive reporting, with the fundamentally flawed system, that he by process, sailed out to sea at full speed, unless told otherwise, with the inevitable consequence. What I found over many years, is the more senior the Manager or Director, the more they forcibly resisted implementing positive reporting into procedures and decision making. I actually came to realise that the culture in a lot of UK sectors, is to positively promote a “doers” culture within the organisations senior staff, with little and in most cases, an absolute disregard of objective thinking type trait people. This results in a cohort of people with influence in the company, that will positively fight changes to process, which, with their engrained personality traits, they just can not see the need for “positive reporting” in the processes and decisions within their organisation. Then, once the organisation is lead with a cohort of people with this engrained personality trait, in senior positions, including the CEOs, Chairman and Directors, who have a lack of objective thinking on running systems which are fundamentally safe and reliable, by employing positive reporting in their process systems procedures, the organisation becomes stuck in this unsafe culture and defends this at all costs, (what all objective thinking people) think is alien and illogical. I do not think things have improved in this way of thinking and in a metaphor way, “ships will continue to sail out to sea, at full speed with their bow doors open, because no one told the captain that the bow doors had been left wide open” So to the next preventable disaster, be it a NHS Hospital Trust in the UK, the Post Office prosecuting thousands of innocent staff or a Ship sinking, where poor culture in processes, are a result of the cohort of personality traits that are allowed to lead and approve the processes for the organisations activities and decision making.
@todddanforth8853Ай бұрын
The executives better pay attention to what happened in NYC a few days ago.
@mingulay295 ай бұрын
Excellent analysis of the disaster. You point out that the number of officers was reduced from 15 to 10 for this new service to Zeebrugge. At this time Thatcherism was in full swing and the Herald of Free Enterprise name for the vessel was no coincidence. The "overmanning" of the 1970s - which few would deny - was replaced with the "undermanning" of the 1980s. And severe cost reduction - which is all fine until safety starts to be neglected - meant video cameras were not installed near the doors. Cheap VHS video was widely available at the time.
@waterlinestories5 ай бұрын
Interesting to see how politics influences the work place safety
@scotto79242 ай бұрын
I was just boarding a Dove-Calais ferry for a ski holiday in France when the first news started. I mentioned it to a few passengers but no knowledge. Driving down through France the number of confirmed deaths started at 6 but no mention of the enormity of the disaster.
@MarjoryMoose6 ай бұрын
Speaking of sleeping on the job, a dear friend from boot camp died on the USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) and I have seen very little coverage of the aftermath of the ship. I would love if you could remedy that for me, but you've gained a sub either way!
@IHWKR6 ай бұрын
Might want to try a channel called Skynea History. Great videos detailing sunken warships. Might already have your friend's ship on there.
@ald11446 ай бұрын
@@IHWKR Good channel, but he does mostly older stuff. Still worth a check though.
@aproudamerican26926 ай бұрын
The deceased Man being brought in to the rescue boat looks so peaceful. Companies and government officials always have enough money to buy themselves out of being held accountable. These people must be held responsible for their actions that take the lives of others! *🙏🏻Rest In Peace🕊* *To The 192 Victims* Prayers and best Wishes to their families.
@geoffbuck68906 ай бұрын
‘Leave 15mins early’ instruction from the Townsend Thoresen is emblematic of how ‘free enterprise’ has a tendency to put profit before safety - bit like Boeing I guess…
@NotExpatJoe6 ай бұрын
The Bridge and Navigational Procedures manual issued by the company operating the Herald include the following statement: "The officer on watch (OOW)/ captain must be on the bridge by no later than 15 minutes before departure." It doesn't say anything about leaving early. In fact the ship left 5 minutes late on that night.
@ianstewartorr84557 күн бұрын
My uncle was the first officer on its sister ship the spirit
@IHWKR6 ай бұрын
This is the kind of stuff Basic Military Training weeds out. Maritime shouldnt be any different when hundreds to thousands of lives are in a small group's hands.
@kenoliver89135 ай бұрын
Not just military training - civil aviation too. They start by telling you that "flying on air is not hard, but the air is like the sea - it does not forgive carelessness and indiscipline".
@fishingnorfolk28 күн бұрын
They left the doors open frequently. My father was in the army. We were returning to the UK and got that boat from callis to Dover. I remember pulling out as we, were one of the, last cars on. We, stood and, watched as, it headed to Dover with outer bow doors open. When we got home we, we're, shocked it sank leaving Dover. It, was, very choppy. Thoughts Poor people.
@ecocodex44316 ай бұрын
It seems like sleeping on the job DIDN'T kill 193 people, Chief Officer Leslie Sabel was supposed to remain where he was, and left the post. Meaning that it is Chief Officer Leslie that doomed 193 people, as he is the one in charge, abandoned his post, and never made sure that there was someone there to make sure the doors were closed. The Chief Officer is the one who should be held most accountable, not the assistant.
@thingsmymacdoes6 ай бұрын
I agree with your first statement but the final responsibility lays with the captain. This wasn't the first time they left with the doors open. Under pressure from the company safety practices were ignored. And the harsh reality is that if the captain had refused to take shortcuts he would have been replaced by someone who did.