Red Funnel have confirmed to OnTheWight that the Captain and his Mate who were in charge of the Red Falcon ferry when it collided with several yachts and ran aground on Sunday morning have been suspended.
The incident took place just before 8am on Sunday morning when the ferry travelling from Southampton to East Cowes collided with several small yachts moored in Cowes Harbour, sinking one of them, before running aground.
Suspension is “standard practice”
Confirming the suspension, a spokesperson for Red Funnel told OnTheWight,
“This is standard practice in any maritime incident of this nature and you shouldn’t read too much into it as part of our duty of care for them.”
Red Funnel unable to confirm same officers
OnTheWight asked whether these were the same officers involved with the previous incident on 27th September when Red Eagle ploughed through moorings in Cowes, tearing several yachts from their moorings.
A spokesperson for Red Funnel told OnTheWight,
“Unfortunately I’m unable to comment as the investigation is ongoing.”
CEO: A “proactive safety management culture”
Fran Collins, Red Funnel CEO said
“Our Southampton-East Cowes service is operating as scheduled today following yesterday’s incident involving Red Falcon. An underwater survey and detailed inspection found that there was no damage to the ship which is back in service and operating normally.
“Red Funnel has a proactive safety management culture and a detailed internal investigation into this incident has been initiated to identify the root cause.
“Whilst the investigation is underway, the navigational team involved in the incident will not be rostered on board which is in accordance with best practice. As normal, the investigation will also consider any other similar incidents that have occurred, both internally and industry-wide, and will seek to identify any common factors.
“Prior to completion of the report, however, and as a precautionary measure, some amendments to our bridge operating procedures in reduced visibility have been made although these changes are not expected to impact on the reliability of the service or the frequency of weather-related cancellations.”
Article edit
13.40: Comment from Red Funnel CEO added
Image: © Rakina Wadey
