The Whiddy Island Disaster - Ireland's Worst Maritime Tragedy

January 1979 - during a routine unloading of a visiting oil tanker, an accident caused a fire and huge explosion, destroying the visiting tanker and posing a real danger to the Whiddy Island crude oil storage facility. Mired in controversy, the inquiry into what happened left many people feeling dissatisfied.... It remains Ireland's deadliest maritime tragedy.
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Although focused primarily on disasters, this channel is all about the interesting, the strange, the unsolved, the tragic. Our world has a varied history full of terrible tragedies, bizarre tales, unexplained events, and extravagant people. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.
#History #Disasters

[@theravenseye9443]

I have gone with the standard "BeetleJuice" pronunciation for the tanker MV Betelgeuse, so feel free to correct me if you disagree. Hey, this is a Raven's Eye video so there's got to be some pronunciation comments!! Thanks to Shane for suggesting this topic.

[@neptunenavalmods4420]

Great video. Might I suggest RMS Leinster? An earlier Irish disaster at sea, but one that killed over 500 people.

[@TracyA123]

Sounded right to me 😋

[@doctoronishispsychosislab1474]

Dude send me a .wav of that bassline at the start :)

[@alanemarson]

If you want pronunciation comments, the oil company "Total" is pronounced like "Toe - Tal" :P

[@byzyt6931]

Many listeners may already know, but I'm still wondering about the exact origin of your accent.

[@stephenbritton9297]

Former tanker officer - There is NO reason why a 10YO ship should be at the end of its useful life. Most ships are designed for MINIMUM 20years, and I've worked on older. If she was a warn out has been at 10 years, that comes down to one thing, the owners not putting the needed money into her for upkeep. She was made at a reputable yard (Chantier de l'Atlantique - France).

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

Ship person here, i can confirm that most ships can outlive their live expectency. I've been on a motor cutter from the 70s, and she looks actually pretty new. Oh, and, can't find anything on the Betelgeuse's stats, but was it a Batillius class tanker?

[@richarddickson747]

I have talked to several naval architects about a tanker's lifespan in the 1960's and 1970's and they all stated that the normal life span back then was 7-10 years depending on use and maintenance levels. Good companies like BP and P&O would sell them after 7 years but some companies were notorious for doing minimal upkeep and running them right down to save money. Her sister ship which was in a slightly better condition was scrapped the year before. Beteguese was just being kept on running for a few more voyages but as it was going to be scrapped then they did not do the essential repairs that would have been done otherwise. The older tankers would be sold onto the PanHolLib owners who would run them till they dropped. Most of these old rust-buckets were registered to a one ship company so that if there was any problems then the company would just go into liquidation so that nobody could sue after an oil spill. The formula was No Pay, No Claims, Much cheaper insurance and More Profit. Tankers nowadays are far better built with twin hulls, twin screws, real maintenance and better trained crews so that 15 to 20 years is more normal.

[@borntoclimb7116]

The most accidents happening because human failure

[@ukaszwalczak1154]

@@richarddickson747 Boy, you should've asked them about the life expectancy of a T2 tanker, they were all literally rated for 5 YEARS or less-

[@lelandthomosoniii4743]

Oil companies no maintenance

[@martinross5521]

I had a summer engineering job during the terminal’s construction in 1967 and surveyed and installed the fire control pipelines around the tanks. They were designed to carry seawater. The inquiry noted that the entire system was unusable as the pumps needed to pressurise the system had not been maintained and were rusted solid. The terminal was opened to great fanfare and came to a terrible end. Thank you Raven’s Eye Channel for highlighting the litany of mistakes and coverups to avoid prosecution of those responsible.

[@whofandb]

The guy who was away from his post tried to cover it up. "The Tribunal [investigating the disaster] singles out one man who might have raised the alarm and saved the lives of those who perished: Mr John Connolly, who was not in his post as dispatcher in the control room of the terminal. To suppress that fact, Gulf personnel and the Bantry telephone operator entered into a conspiracy. False entries were made in logs, false accounts were given of the disaster, and efforts were made to avoid giving statements to the police." Disgusting. He should have gone to jail.

[@richiehoyt8487]

I'm not particularly 'schooled' in the details of this tragedy, in spite of growing up in the nearest city, nor do I have any 'skin in the game', so to speak, but I _do_ think it's only fair to point out that there _is_ a camp that strongly holds that Connolly was innocent, and that he was railroaded by Gulf who needed a scapegoat. Now, there is a strong tradition of 'skiving off' and "you cover for me, and I'll cover for you" at the shop - floor level in Irish industry. Not to mention the widely held feeling - at all levels - that the only thing _worse_ than a safety officer with intermittent blindness or who is 'on the take'... is the safety officer who is one of those 'Na3Is' that takes their role seriously! Think, the Homer v. Frank 'Grimey' Grimes episode of The Simpsons (Though to be fair, this attitude seems to be dying out.) If Connolly _was_ away from his post without an explanation written by _GOD,_ then yeah, he kind of deserved to be strung up (although it's pretty clear that the 'slack' culture on the island didn't begin or end with him). And a misplaced concern for a man's good name shouldn't trump 50 other lives - but I'm not too sure I would just accept, as a matter of course, the pronouncements of the company apparatchiks as inherently trustworthy when _not only_ was the _island_ inaccessable by foot or vehicle from the mainland, but the footbridge which had, at least, connected the jetty to the Island _been ripped out as antiethical to SQUEEZING out EVERY last drop of profit_ from operations!

[@AndyCutright]

Dyatlov reported he was in the bathroom at the time of the reactor core meltdown, and had nothing to do with it.

[@richiehoyt8487]

@@AndyCutright Naughty... but funny ;^)

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

The Irish protect their own

[@Youcanttouchmyhandle]

The company should have had more than one person on watch. It is inhumane to expect no toilet break, meal and refresh break. Another employee should have been available to ensure continuous watch. Failure to staff sufficiently.

[@AndyCutright]

Holy cow. What a cluster. No one on guard, equipment in disarray, no call for nearby fire-fighting resources, no inert gas fill, falsified records ..

[@VauxhallViva1975]

Yeah, well......that would affect the profit margins, now, wouldn't it......

[@lyedavide]

The watchman should have been arrested, charged and convicted of manslaughter. I can't believe that the inquiry found no one accountable for the disaster. Talk about a miscarriage of justice. Thanks for posting another well researched video!

[@sineadsmyth846]

The deadliest maritime accident in Irish history was the RMS Tayleur Iron clipper ship chartered by White Star Line that ran aground on Lambay Island off the coast of Rush Co.Dublin. It was the Titanic of her time as it was on its maiden voyage with 370 (over half its passengers) lost. It’s a very interesting story you should look into.

[@elliottprice6084]

So many victims never recovered. So many failings that caused the disaster. And so many victims still fighting for justice over forty years later. Shocking beyond belief

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

Justice is required for healing.

[@greendragon4058]

It took over 25 years for anybody to get any kind of compensation from the Exxon Valdez spill and then they didn't get what they were told they would get. It's all about the Deep Pockets sad just so sad

[@samanthagomez7074]

Yup that's very true

[@davesmith5656]

The list of "not present" "not available" "not functional" "not accessible" "not done" is mind-blowing. So many, so willfully negligent. Something wrong there! Could have been worse if it were a coordinated sabotage, I guess.

[@TracyA123]

Absolutely terrifying! The removal of the foot bridge makes sense from a production point of view but in hindsight was so deadly! It's hard to believe the firefighting vessel was so far away. Complacency is responsible for more deaths than stupidity ever will be. Great video!

[@foo219]

Security measures cost money, you know! :P

[@reachandler3655]

It could be argued that complacency is stupid...

[@johncox2865]

I suspect the original intention was to remove the foot bridge. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been provisions made in the design of the terminal to accommodate two ships. Other than that, two many other corners had been cut for this to have made much difference, in my opinion.

[@mrdan2898]

@@johncox2865 Your right. This is a common tactic. Design the site as required, then make alterations when the government officials wont be looking so closely over bylaws etc.

[@mattteee2973]

@@johncox2865 Yeah seems pretty logical to me, I don't really understand why there's such disgust in the way the video states it was done for profit? I'd assumed it was only there as part of the construction process.

[@bennyd345]

Hey there Ravens, I'm absolutely unsurprised to see your channel blowing up at speed. Fantastic quality and content. Keep up the great work, it's much appreciated. 🙏

[@neptunenavalmods4420]

"Blowing up" ... interesting choice of words for this video (j/k) :)

[@theravenseye9443]

Thanks BennyD

[@RHauto]

I've visited Bantry a couple of times. You would never think such a disaster happened so closeby with how peaceful and beautiful it is there!

[@samanthagomez7074]

Wow really

[@gerardacronin334]

My parents grew up in Bantry and we visited relatives there regularly. The 1970s were recession years in Ireland. Any enterprise that boosted employment was welcome, especially in rural areas. Environmental concerns were disregarded and there was no culture of safety. There was gross negligence by many parties. Everyone knew someone who worked at the Whiddy terminal or died in the inferno. Multiple errors (holes in the Swiss cheese) combined to produce this tragedy. It’s frustrating that nobody was held accountable.

[@martinross5521]

Would your parents be Pat and Mary Cronin? Mine were Geoff and Marie Pennell who lived in Boolteenah, about three miles south west of Bantry on the shore of the bay. I’m sure they were good friends around 1967-1971 when my parents returned to England.

[@gerardacronin334]

@@martinross5521 No. (Edited to remove identifying information).

[@martinross5521]

@@gerardacronin334 thank you for replying. Apologies for troubling you.

[@memberberries9782]

Every year is recession year in Ireland

[@gerardacronin334]

@@memberberries9782 That assertion is not supported by data.

[@Potato797]

As a Irish person myself I’m shocked to hear this I feel terribly sorry for the victims

[@Jamblesquack]

It’s insane how much you can suppress if you have a shitload of money.

[@tomdetemmerman878]

And the nature? The ecological impact?

[@celiawhitaker2404]

My father in law worked as a senior engineer for Total. He lost friends and colleagues on the Betelgeuse and is still traumatised by the horror of that explosion at 96 years old, particularly because the terminal crew ‘ran away’ instead of giving aid. Very hard to know the truth at this remove, but the litany of failures speaks volumes about the casual approach to safety in such a dangerous environment in those days.

[@Youcanttouchmyhandle]

Such a sad tragedy for your stepfather to live through. He would think of his friends lost often. 💖 to him from Australia

[@samanthagomez7074]

Wow really. From Edinburg Texas

[@anthonyellis987]

How can so many things go wrong in a place that should've been so aware of the dangers? As always nobody gets the blame, but 51 people died needlessly. RIP to the victims.

[@rpgspree]

That's what happens when we let companies prioritize profits at all cost. Corporate regulations were written in blood.

[@Scrapper.]

I remember this horror. I was 14. Heads should've rolled. Great production. Respect from Ireland.

[@Ass_of_Amalek]

wow, that's a lot of negligence for nobody to be held responsible!

[@TheSWalks]

I grew up in the oil fields of south Louisiana and most of my relatives worked for Gulf Oil. We lived near a major Gulf refinery and in the late 70's, there were 2 explosions and fires that had us running for our lives. For years, whenever I heard thunder, I'd jump up, ready to run in the opposite direction. Before I found this video, I'd never heard of the Whiddy Island disaster, but considering the time frame, I'm not surprised. I believe the Gulf Oil administrator's were planning the merge with Standard years before it actually happened, and to make the books look better, cut corners wherever they could. On another note, I live on Whidbey Island, north of Seattle, Washington. What are the odds?

[@martinross5521]

From Whiddy (whose tanks I could see from my parents’ home) to Whidbey, greetings. We both seem to be affected by Gulf Oil’s reckless and unsafe corporate behaviour.

[@martinross5521]

@BOB K you’d be right there. Before Gulf marched into Bantry Bay, Whiddy was uninhabited except for sheep and unique “day farmers” who went over by boat. I recall huge protests by emerging environmentalists about damage and pollution risks to the pristine waters of Bantry Bay. Turned out they were right. But as Bob Dylan noted, money doesn’t talk, it swears and the Gulf loot got them everything they wanted from a supine Irish government. Of course, Gulf promised nothing could ever go wrong and that there would never be any pollution. There was no remediation duty built at the start so that damned wrecked jetty will probably be there for ever. I went back six years ago for a week over Christmas and New Year. The bay and the surrounding area are still incredibly beautiful and I’ve taken some of the best photos of my life there, then and in the late sixties. So now the sheep are grazing still on the untouched part of Whiddy and they’re not at all hoity toity.

[@samanthagomez7074]

Wow really

[@Northicex]

No questions asked I see a Raven's Eye video I watch a Raven's Eye video.

[@oldbat2ccats]

It seems that every story connected to the extraction, transport or off-loading of crude oil is fraught with cut corners, poor maintenance and the greed with which the “Company” Situations with saturation divers on oil rigs and at terminals gives much more consideration to maximizing profits and the divers be damned ! The most obvious liability belongs to the company yet they do everything possible to wriggle out of taking responsibility. The loss of one man or woman or the loss of one hundred is a tragedy. Thanks for this video, you never disappoint

[@neptunenavalmods4420]

I read a sad story years ago from a French girl who was orphaned...Mom was visiting dad (ship officer) and both died on "Betelgeuse"...It's disgraceful how Total S.A. & Gulf ran equipment into the ground and killed 50 people, rather than keep things in good condition.

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

That's what PG&E does year after year with the California Wildfires.

[@harridan.]

@@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking yes. the biggest forest fires in New Mexico, where i live, are caused by the Forest Service itself.

[@feasogachsionnach1872]

Me da saw this all unfold on the TV at the time, here you'd be used to seeing explosive accidents happen elsewhere but never here, so it hit harder for many here.

[@Truckngirl]

But everybody hates the safety rules and those that enforce them. But it's pretty obvious that greed drives that attitude. RIP all souls lost...

[@seanmurphy1614]

And Corporate bean counters hate paying for something that takes from that holy grail...profit. Total were just about to sell Betelgeuse, it seems for scrap as the next voyage was to be her final one, so she was not given the maintenance required. Gulf were to blame for the state of the safety service equipment from trucks and hoses to pumps and hydrants. John Connolly, the man in charge of the Terminal Control room was the scapegoat, and Gulf ensured this by inventing a timeline that suited themselves. The scientific assessor to the subsequent tribunal of enquiry, Dr HK Black, resigned as he was not allowed interview certain people to get to the truth and his personal integrity wouldn't allow him be associated with the 'invented' findings. Huge cover-up.

[@palatina6626]

Thank you for your work on this sad story. - I could listen to you for hours. I am not a native speaker, but I understand every word of you. Thank you.

[@theunexplained1925]

This channel has been gaining about a thousand subs a day for the past few days now and I'm so happy about that. Your narration and script is so detailed and thorough with a sense of your humanity throughout, making it exceptional. I wish all the best for you.

[@theravenseye9443]

Thanks for your kind words - yes, the channel certainly has gotten a boost recently!

[@georgesturdy7040]

I'm from Ireland and was just wondering today if you covered this disaster and here I get an upload notification..I swear we're living in the Matrix

[@MrRugbylane]

If Betelgeuse (the Star) explodes next then its even more proof....its likely to go supernova in the next 100,000 years.

[@DSR299]

Thank you for including the old British Imperial units of measurements for those of us in the United States who grew up using that measurement standard. I'm too old to learn the Metric System now.

[@LGTheOneFreeMan]

I realize it's probably negligence, but it almost sounds like they wanted the oil terminal to go up since they probably couldn't afford it during the recession.

[@Youcanttouchmyhandle]

Not just negligence .. murder ❤

[@bowtiejess80]

Love your videos, I predict your channel will blow up once the algorithm gets your videos in the recommendeds!

[@john-brady]

Remarkably well done, this incident was new to me but you certainly made the incident quite real …

[@mogwaifan7094]

Well done. Very thoughtful video on this accident. Best regards from Ireland

[@mrdan2898]

Also agree. There was additional information here that is not included in other documentaries on this accident.

[@tomshiba51]

Well, this disaster followed a fairly standard pattern of numerous individual events, most not dangerous by themselves, but added together, they caused such havoc.

[@draggonsgate]

Odd how a ship and pumping jetty can blow up, killing 50 people... but it's no one's fault...

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

There should be a way for disaster victims to request an International Team of investigators - especially when the locals are corrupt. The UN should have this set up.

[@GiordanDiodato]

@@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking sadly that could lead to war

[@Gabriel-ih5of]

Another amazing yet a horrifying way to learn history.

[@long_strange_trip5959]

Love your channel! Interesting topics, great concise narration and visuals. Found you a few weeks ago and have been bingeing all your vids. Keep it up and your channel is gonna EXPLODE🔥

[@glennzanotti3346]

I am amazed that this is the first I've heard of this disaster, as my father was the Refinery Manager at one of Gulf Oil's largest refineries in January of 1979. It was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, but my dad was an Engineer and obsessive about safety. Yet, he never mentioned it.

[@tales5947]

Love your videos, could you look into the Stardust Fire sometime? It rarely gets talked about and would fit your channel. Keep up the work

[@amandadonegan2137]

Another terrible tragedy and coverup...

[@thebyrd433]

As someone who grew up in SoCal, I will never forget the day the SS Sansinena exploded in LA Harbour. We were miles away and yet it cracked a window in the house. The photos of the Sansinena look almost exactly like these.

[@greendragon4058]

Oh my gosh yes I was stationed down there during that time, then moved to Alaska and you got the Exxon Valdez and how hard they covered up everything how long did it take for people to get compensation so many lives destroyed over oil, an evil necessity

[@tonydoherty2190]

Its pretty disgusting the 51 that died never got justice always the same with big businesses and governments

[@Jack-tx2ve]

Love the channel and how the various topics are presented. Its class.

[@honeybadgerdontcare4763]

I find it mind boggling that all of the safety tools were not checked and maintained. Fire hoses hydrants extinguishers etc

[@annabouillon8797]

When will people learn that being disorganized makes tragedy even worse. It's always good to be prepared.

[@SuzanneU]

You'd be prepared for your ship to catch fire and explode? You're more organized than I am!

[@missykeatings9114]

@Suz Cost if I was responsible for a shit load of oil and peoples lives and there was a huge fire hazard present every single day. Literally everything was broken or inaccessible. It's not about being organized. It's about being repaired for disaster when it's possible at any moment

[@Shield.148]

Where was the Watch Officer??? What was his excuse for not being on watch???

[@Youcanttouchmyhandle]

Why did the company not have enough staff to cover continuous watch? Meal breaks toilet breaks and rest breaks

[@greenman6141]

People should read the comment written by Richard Dickson it is one of the follow up comments to the Stephen Britton comment, and has real information about ship life expectancy at that time, including that Betelgeuse's sister ship had been scrapped the year prior.

[@simonbletsoe7059]

Well told story of brave peoples horrific fate. I was a boy at the time. British. This is the first time I've heard of it, even though I watched the news and had family at sea. Thanks for this, mate. Peace.

[@thejudgmentalcat]

The drunk KZbin algorithm actually got it right for once and recommended your channel. I love the subject matter you cover and have now subbed 👍

[@mrwishywashy238]

Every video is fantastic!! Thank you!

[@revmo37]

No wonder I'm lovin' your channel. I was in Waterford, Kinsale, and Clonikilty in 2013. Looked liked paradise to me. Had never even heard of this event. Lest we forget our tragedy's. Thanks for posting !

[@evenmoor]

Been watching your subs shoot up since I first found this channel. Well done and congratulations!

[@kariahola463]

Cutting costs measures, increasing profit, cutting corners .... Oh yes, a disaster documentary.

[@Electriceye1984bySam]

Another event unknown to me, thanks for the fascinating video!🏆👏🏻

[@robertbruce1887]

Thank you Ravens Eye channel for a case of every form negligence possible occurred, with deadly results!

[@colesmith7509]

Hold on, I assumed this guy had like a million subs. Oh my god. This channel is about to absolutely blow up

[@bagonmyhip]

Excellent video & analysis!

[@cherryrotella3714]

Thankyou for these … very interesting 👍

[@vandenbrink1]

Great channel! Your voice and inflection are perfect for these types of videos. The foreboding 'Twin Peaks' like underscore give the vids a cool dark tone, well done!

[@unclealbert3118]

I love your videos!... great narration and storytelling. (and editing)

[@ChicagoMel23]

1000C is over 1800F. Yikes

[@giveemdasauc3531]

Great channel, just found you and already hooked

[@juliancrawfordyt6285]

Congrats on 100k!

[@Straswa]

Great vid Raven's Eye, I like your narration style.

[@felixcat9318]

When I became manager at my company, I began to actively pursue a policy of workplace safety. I included the staff from the very beginning, showing them how easily they could be cut off if a fire broke out and smoke filled the building interior. I got Fire Fighters to come in and check the place out, and the staff, actively involved and happy that I was doing this to protect them, were enthusiastic. We made that place the best it could be, and when our handheld fire extinguishers were due to be serviced, we had a massive water pistol fight, using the expired fire extinguishers as giant water pistols! Everyone took it upon themselves to be observant and proactive in our own safety, and it was a great atmosphere. Families of staff said that their partners were far more aware about fire safety at home and that they felt valued working here. The only thing that mattered to me was that people were safe, my fellow workers and the residents of the multi storey residential apartment block above us. Preventing fire is preferable, attacking and suppressing the fire before it becomes fully developed is the next best option, if it does become fully developed, only professionals will be able to deal with it. Fires offer multiple ways to die, not succumbing to any of them begins by awareness of them.

[@roadweary5252]

There is a KZbin video on how this wreck was salvaged. A great watch. Another great video my friend. You are becoming one of my favorite channels

[@boblordylordyhowie]

I remember this being part of a course in electrical safety equipment for oil production facilities.

[@m.streicher8286]

It's amazing how the Total Oil Company can create fiction out of thin air, still their point of view is respected (even entertained for but a second) just because of their institutional influence.

[@WendysCove]

Wow, thanks so much. I never knew. Thankyou.

[@iwaswrongabouteveryhthing]

20k subs, nice mate🥳🥳

[@patrickdunnett2447]

Thank you for this story. 🙂

[@yakacm]

From the title, I at 1st thought I hadn't heard of this, despite being 14 in 1979, but as soon as you said Bantry Bay, I realised I had.

[@uribobo]

these stories are great. please do more

[@sandracreevy278]

Love watching these videos

[@Dovietail]

A ship nearing the end of her working life at 11 years old??? That's ridiculous. Such a ship would never be built, as it doesn't make economic sense. Her 1st paint job would hardly be nearing the end of its working life. Clearly a lack of scheduled maintenance was part of the problem here.

[@craigdowney3128]

After recently finding your channel, I thought I recognized your voice and delivery, but I wasn't sure from where. Then I figured it out- - the sound of your voice and delivery is almost exactly the same as "Holly" from the early episodes of Red Dwarf.

[@swedishmake-upgeek5650]

Great video! Could you do a video on the Tjörnbron accident, when a boat hit the bridge and it collapsed?

[@christopherhill4438]

Very interesting video.

[@pomerau]

Damn. I knew the name but missed the news. I never really knew what happened here. I left home for Dublin in Feb 1977 from Cork City. I remember not having a TV for a long time. It was tough and I probably rarely listened to the news or read a paper. This was awful. Most of those people should have been rescued or had the facility to escape. It must have been in the news for at least a couple of years after but it didn't click with me. No family connection to Bantry or the oil industry per se. I llike to learn about disasters all the time, particularly in aviation. Great new channel for me. I'm ashamed I didn't know. God Rest Them All.

[@gerardleahy6946]

I remember all of this. Ì undetstand that many lies were told at the Inquiry and that several people were paid for perjuring themselves.

[@arklinmike]

I still remember the song "Bringing home the oil, boys. Bringing home the oil..." from that commercial.

[@mariahlehman9777]

I can’t imagine how much work must go into making these videos they’re so well done.

[@donnawoodman6249]

You always get a thumbs up from me 👍👍

[@jonathangodbout6645]

I remember seeing this on ABC News when I was a kid living in Rhode Island

[@annabouillon8797]

So sad all those crew members died.

[@SusieDaw-ix6pv]

Wow. In 79 I was a super busy mom of 2 that were 18 months apart. Guess i missed this on the news in Texas, if they even covered the story of it happening.

[@fritzkuhne2055]

lol BELEGEUSE ! i understood "beetlejuice" and was like WTH who names their ship that

[@93rt]

It's the name of a well known star.

[@neilisagum]

I was in the Navy at the time, we sailed from Dublin to Bantry bay minutes after the explosion, on arrival we were presented with a scene of chaos, a huge black cloud of smoke hung over the scene, the town was awash with police, fire brigades, ambulances and shocked people, we stayed there until salvage experts separated the fore and aft sections, the f'ard section was eventually towed out to sea by a tug , they opened the seacocks to flood the wreck and sink it, but it became airlocked and failed to sink, in the end we opened fire on it and sent it to the bottom of the sea.

[@GodzHarleyGirlStudio]

Sorry for your experience but thanks for your story.

[@fredlandry6170]

Me and my parents went to Bantry Bay when I was a kid.

[@johncahalane7327]

Yes I do remember it well, I was in bed at 12.50am, my reaction was why was Concord flying this late? If you lived on the south coast of Ireland then the sonic boom was part of your day, my sister and her boyfriend now husband returned at about 2 am from a dance in the local hotel in Bantry and seen the explosion, the weather was shocking too and the pall of black smoke was present for days. The cause of the explosion was that of TWA 800 in 1996 an empty storage tank filled with gas fumes set off by the uneven ballast breaking the tanker in two, the wiring exposed caused the chain reaction. The fact that there was one survivor who was not in his place at the time and probably would have saved lives. Oh so much should have and had to be done but was not by government and others, this only changed after another terrible disaster on 14th February 1981 The Stardust Ballroom Fire costing 48 lives, not sure if this could happen again, suppose it could anytime.

[@barrydysert2974]

Excellent !:-) 💜🙏⚡️

[@IrishEddie317]

What a complete, utter, ridiculous CLOWN SHOW!!!! How sad for those poor crew members on the tanker.

[@DianeHasHopeInChrist]

This disaster is a perfect example of: Dereliction of Duty, Job Abandonment, Laziness, Nonchalant Attitude, Negligent Homicide, and blatant stupidity by ALL parties involved. Completely preventable. God bless all those men lost their lives! 😥💕🙏

[@Youcanttouchmyhandle]

Deliberately bad management

[@cuddlepaws4423]

Well put 👍

[@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking]

Disasters like these (negligence, preventable) are why I don't believe in ghosts. If ghosts had any power to wreak havoc on the living for revenge - people wouldn't get away with such things. But the villains do. Seem to live long lives. I'd be one hell of a wrathful ghost if I went out this way. I suppose I prefer to feel the dead are at peace anyway. RIP victims.

[@augiesnyder7481]

A while back you did a video on Maurice Wilson and I thought that was very interesting. A video recommendation I have would be to do a video on the disappearance of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine on Everest.

[@basbleupeaunoire]

This is completely new to me. I cannot imagine the terror and helplessness the men on board must have felt.

[@ernestweaver9720]

Really??? This was a disaster that should have easily been prevented and the families should have been compensated for years ago. My prayers and condolences to those for mentioned.

[@bettyschnauber8238]

Like most disasters, it's always a string of events that add up to calamity :(

[@borntoclimb7116]

Years ago, i watching a docu about this

[@anthonyrausch5708]

10:37 = I know this was back when “THERE WAS NO TECHNOLOGY” But the “HE SAID SHE SAID WAS ALIVE AND WELL AT GULF OIL AND TOTAL PETROLEUM DURING THIS CLUSTERFUCK” “BOTH GULF AND TOTAL FAILED IRELAND HERE” “PERIOD” “SHAME REALLY” “POOR WORKERS”……….

[@Youcanttouchmyhandle]

Some fantastic comments. Never stop an investigation with “ the Butler did it” the Butler has nothing to gain. Thank you 💐 The Ravens Eye

[@petercallinicos]

I live on Whidbey Island in Washington state.

[@cilldublin07]

Kowloon bridge for a video as a somewhat indirect link to another ship wreck in the arwa

[@neptunenavalmods4420]

Yeah sister of the "Derbyshire" - still another disaster