Sunday, February 03, 2008

Riverdance (The Ship, Not the Musical)

Gilbert and Sullivan may have written a musical operetta entitled HMS Pinafore, but a real maritime drama has been unfolding in our very own backyard during the past couple of days, which Sarah and I have photographically captured over the weekend, on the coastal shore just north of Blackpool.

On Thursday night, the cargo ferry Riverdance beached herself here after being struck by a large wave that was driven by the gale force winds that have been the bane of local mariners this past week. Riverdance was enroute from Northern Ireland to the port of Heysham, which lies just a few miles north of where she is now stranded.

Personnel from the RAF, Royal Navy, HM Coast Guard, Irish Coast Guard, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution heroically came to the rescue of the ship's twenty-three crew members and airlifted them off the listing, windswept deck. Thousands of packages of McVities Biscuits have washed ashore from the ship, giving the local gulls a special gastronomical treat. Salvage operations are reportedly planned to commence on Monday.

Additional photo images have already been forwarded to our representatives at Alamy Images.

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