Page 60 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society
P. 60

THE ACCIDENT THAT TIME FORGOT

          and  with  water  rapidly  rising  around  him,  sacrificed  his  final
          opportunity  to  escape    from  the  radio  room  to  send  his  final
          message:  ‘SOS  estimated  position  now  five  miles  East  of
          Copelands entrance Belfast Lough’. After that there was silence
          and no further radio transmissions were heard from him.

              Two minutes later the MV Princess Victoria rolled over on to
          her starboard side throwing all those still on board into the sea,
          then  turned  upside  down  before  slipping  beneath  the  waves.
          Ironically the MV Princess Victoria was very near land and had
          her engines not failed when the engine room flooded, might have
          made landfall or calmer waters.

              All the lifeboats had lost their oars prior to being lowered into
          the sea which meant that their occupants were unable to row to
          those floating in the water but had to swim to them instead. Some
          made it to one of the six rafts floating in the sea but most were
          subsequently washed away by the sea or were unable to hold on
          due to the icy conditions.


              At 2.49 p.m. the MV Orchy was the first ship to reach the
          survivors but their rescue efforts went badly wrong. Those in the
          water were too cold and exhausted to grasp ropes, ladders, and
          lifebuoys with lines attached, thrown over her side so that they
          could  be  pulled  on  board.  The  prevailing  weather  conditions
          were too rough for her master Captain Matheson to launch his
          own lifeboats to pick up survivors. Soon Captain Matheson was
          joined by the oil tanker MV Pass of Drumochter, commanded by
          Captain James Kelly. Captain Kelly sighted lifeboat No. 6 and
          with difficulty got a line on board and brought her alongside him
          but was unable to bring the occupants on board as there was
          always the danger that this lifeboat might be drawn under the
          stern of the ship and come in contact with the propellers. The
          tanker then stood off from the lifeboat while Captain Kelly called
          up the Donaghadee lifeboat by radio requesting it to take the
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