The 132 meter long ro-ro ferry Herald of Free Enterprise departed from Zeebrugge bound for Dover on March 6, 1987.   The ferry loaded with 459 passengers, 80 crew and 131 vehicles suddenly capsized and sank five minutes later. Without warning, the ferry had lost stability and rolled over to port in shallow water.  Waves had poured into the vessel as the watertight door in the bow was left open.  Water rushed down the entire length of the vessel disabling the electrical systems.  The passengers and crew who survived the capsizing were trapped in the darkness and freezing water.

A nearby dredger saw the lights of the ferry disappeared and contacted the authorities.  The Belgian Navy was nearby and soon rescue helicopters were on the scene.   While many were rescued, many perished from the hypothermia before they could be reached.  When search and rescue efforts ended, there were 193 people who died on board the vessel.

The Herald of Free Enterprise was salvaged in April 1987 and taken to Flushing.   The vessel was later sold for scrap and towed to Taiwan in 1988.

The cause of the sinking was investigated and revealed several causes that lead to the sinking.

• The Master of the vessel was unable to see if the bow doors were closed from the bridge (due to the ship’s design) and  there was no indicator light
• The assistant boatswain who is responsible for closing the door was asleep at his bunk at the time of the accident
• The first mate had left the deck early to go to the bridge assuming the assistant boatswain would close the doors
• The last crewman who saw the doors open did not close the door before the vessel left
• The vessel’s speed in shallow water increased the flooding into the vessel
• The vessel’s ballast tanks in the bow resulted in an irregular trim

Related articles

• National News: Memorial service will mark 25th anniversary of Herald of Free Enterprise sinking in Zeebrugge (coventrytelegraph.net)
• Zeebrugge survivor still grieves (bbc.co.uk)
• “Nothing compares to that terrible day”: Zeebrugge ferry disaster survivor still haunted by tragic events after 25 years (mirror.co.uk)
• The day death swept in through Herald’s open doors (independent.co.uk)
• World’s Worst Passenger Ship Disasters (news.sky.com)