Page 60 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society

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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