Q.E. Accident

A passenger has died through a accident on the Q.E.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/11509466/Queen-Elizabeth-passenger-dies-boarding-a-cruise-ship-tender.html

It was reported on the QE World Cruise thread earlier.

Here is the Cunard Statement -

We can confirm that very sadly a passenger died earlier today following an accident whilst boarding Queen Elizabeth from a tender. Two of our crew members reacted very quickly and jumped in to rescue her. She was then taken to the medical centre but despite our very best efforts she died. Our customer care team is fully involved and will be offering every support including to those passengers who witnessed the incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends

There really isn't anything else to add, it's dreadfully sad.

So very sad.

Absolutely tragic.

I saw that. Tendering accidents are my worst nightmare. I've seen some pretty huge swells while a captain has failed to stop the tendering process and I've often wondered why there aren't more serious injuries and deaths.

I saw that. Tendering accidents are my worst nightmare. I've seen some pretty huge swells while a captain has failed to stop the tendering process and I've often wondered why there aren't more serious injuries and deaths.

Just so I understand your post, and please forgive me if I've misunderstood your post (my fault)... you are on board QE at present, and saw the accident? You saw the swell and the following accident? Was the sea rough... or was there one wave higher than the others? Thanks for your kind assistance, and please excuse me asking the questions (I can be awfully dense at times).

Hi Seago2,

Just so I understand your post, and please forgive me if I've misunderstood your post (my fault)... you are on board QE at present, and saw the accident? You saw the swell and the following accident? Was the sea rough... or was there one wave higher than the others? Thanks for your kind assistance, and please excuse me asking the questions (I can be awfully dense at times).

No, I have seen it in the PAST and often wondered why there are not more accidents and why tendering is continued when swells get large.

No, I have seen it in the PAST and often wondered why there are not more accidents and why tendering is continued when swells get large.

It was just when you said "I saw that" I (wrongly) assumed you had seen the accident, I am very sorry for my mistake.

Also, you mentioned in your first post the size of the swells "pretty huge swells", and again in the post above "swells get large" and I assumed (again wrongly) that you had first hand observation of the sea-state at the time of the accident. Once again, please accept my apologies.

I asked because your comments (or observations (had you been there)) were at odds with not only the reports I've received from a witness to the accident who said that the seas were calm, but also photographs I've seen of the end of the incident (which, of course, I am not going to share) which clearly show completely calm seas. There were no swells to "get large" (your post above).

Thank you for confirming that you didn't see the incident and were only speculating about any sudden large swells that might have been a contributing factor.

I think that we should say nothing more about this terrible accident, in which someone lost their life... until the FACTS are known.

This is NOT a subject for internet speculation, IMHO.

Hi,

This is sad (and scary). These accidents can happen very suddenly. In 2000, I was on a cruise on the QE2 that stopped at St. Croix. We were required to tender at the port. When my tender reached the pier, a woman who was exiting the tender only a few people in front of me was seriously injured. Her leg was crushed between the tender and the pier. An ambulance was called and her cruise was over. As a result, I am always extremely careful boarding and exiting the tenders to try to at least reduce my chance of an accident. Of course, some accidents are beyond your control.

Chuck

 

 

I think that we should say nothing more about this terrible accident, in which someone lost their life... until the FACTS are known.

This is NOT a subject for internet speculation, IMHO.

I agree and I think Bell Boy put it very well on the other thread

Yes sadly a Tender accident happened on QE earlier today. 'Please' !! hopefully we are not going to start a long thread on the ins and outs of security on Cunard Tenders.

 

Can we just take some time out to be with the family and friends of the guest who was involved, and those wonderful members of the deck department who go out of their way to take care of us.

 

The official announcement can be seen on the Cunard web site/ Facebook.

 

Our thoughts at this time go out to the Captain/Crew and all onboard the QE.

The fact that the sea state was calm at the time of the accident, will make the speculation machine hit overdrive. It's much easier to explain away a tragedy when adverse conditions can be blamed.

By "I saw that" I meant that I saw the official announcement from Cunard hours ago.

I'm not speculating on the cause of the accident TYVM, I am sharing a particular concern I have always had.

My deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. I'm very sorry for your loss...thoughts and prayers are with you and her fellow passengers and crew members.

With sympathy,

Salacia

Another tragic event involving a cruise ship. Sympathies to all those involved.

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

It was reported on the QE World Cruise thread earlier.

 

Here is the Cunard Statement -

 

 

 

There really isn't anything else to add, it's dreadfully sad.

Thank you Host Hattie.

This is the first I heard about this incident on the QE World Cruise.

On one HAL cruise a few years ago the woman ahead of me fell between the tender and the dock getting on the tender. Her leg was caught with considerable pain, but I don't know the extent of her injury. No matter how good the crew is in helping pax and how smooth the ocean may seem, there are still swells and the tender is bouncing up and down. It's one reason we book cruises with a minimum of tender ports and I really have to badly want to visit a port to even think about tendering. I hate it :mad:

How very sad. I feel very sorry for her, her family and the crew involved and even the Captain, who is ultimately responsible for everything that happens on the ship.

Does anybody know who the Captain is currently?

How very sad. I feel very sorry for her, her family and the crew involved and even the Captain, who is ultimately responsible for everything that happens on the ship.

 

Does anybody know who the Captain is currently?

https://ask.cunard.com/help/cunard/fleet/senior_officers

Name From To

Captain I K Thorhauge 24/10/14 16/12/14

Clark 16/12/14 03/03/15

I K Thorhauge 03/03/15 14/05/15

Clark 14/05/15 03/08/15

I K Thorhauge 03/08/15 TBA

I have every sympathy for the lady who died and her family following the tragic tendering accident.

A few years ago my wife and I were on 'Song of America' and went off by tender at Cabo San Lucas. It was calm when we left the ship, but whilst ashore the wind blew up and the sea became quite rough. We spent an hour on the return tender just wallowing about in the sea because it was too heavy to approach the ship. It was extremely uncomfortable and people were sick everywhere. The stench was awful. The ship manoeuvered around to help the tendering situation. When we arrived at the side of the ship the tender was all over the place and the ships' crew fought valiantly to stabilise the situation. As I went to get off the tender on to the ship the tender pulled violently away from the side of the ship. I went straight down between the gap and as my feet entered the water, two crew men, grabbed me, one under each arm pit, and whisked me straight out of the water. If they had not been so prompt I hate to think what might have happened. Due to the tendering difficulties the ship left Cabo several hours late.

This episode frightened me to death and I still have nightmares about it. Tendering is a disaster waiting to happen and I am amazed there aren't more accidents particularly with the introduction of mega ships where tendering is more prevalent. I have great respect for the crewmen involved with tendering. If it was a land procedure I doubt whether Health & Safety would allow it.

Safe sailing!

I have every sympathy for the lady who died and her family following the tragic tendering accident.

 

I have great respect for the crewmen involved with tendering. If it was a land procedure I doubt whether Health & Safety would allow it.

 

Safe sailing!

I must have missed something - how would tendering be a land procedure?

I must have missed something - how would tendering be a land procedure?

Comparatively speaking I mean. Virtually everything within the UK is now not allowed if there is the slightest risk to anyone.

I have every sympathy for the lady who died and her family following the tragic tendering accident.

 

A few years ago my wife and I were on 'Song of America' and went off by tender at Cabo San Lucas. It was calm when we left the ship, but whilst ashore the wind blew up and the sea became quite rough. We spent an hour on the return tender just wallowing about in the sea because it was too heavy to approach the ship. It was extremely uncomfortable and people were sick everywhere. The stench was awful. The ship manoeuvered around to help the tendering situation. When we arrived at the side of the ship the tender was all over the place and the ships' crew fought valiantly to stabilise the situation. As I went to get off the tender on to the ship the tender pulled violently away from the side of the ship. I went straight down between the gap and as my feet entered the water, two crew men, grabbed me, one under each arm pit, and whisked me straight out of the water. If they had not been so prompt I hate to think what might have happened. Due to the tendering difficulties the ship left Cabo several hours late.

 

This episode frightened me to death and I still have nightmares about it. Tendering is a disaster waiting to happen and I am amazed there aren't more accidents particularly with the introduction of mega ships where tendering is more prevalent. I have great respect for the crewmen involved with tendering. If it was a land procedure I doubt whether Health & Safety would allow it.

 

Safe sailing!

RJChatsworth, I think you raised a good point. I've read several posts from passengers with mobility issues asking about boarding tenders. No one wants to give added concern, but the truth is that tendering can be a difficult operation; I'm certain crew members will confirm that.

I had one experience similar to yours, except that my feet never touched water. It was on one of my QM2 Caribbean voyages. We boarded a tender when the seas were calm, but the seas were very different on the return. The sea was angry.

As I put my foot up to board the platform, the tender went down and the ship went up. Amazingly, two crew members had a hold of each of my elbows - and suddenly I was airborne and landed on the tender boarding platform (what is the proper term for that?). I will never forget the crew members who kept me from falling into 'the drink'. Sometimes I wonder if we ask too much of the crew, and the head office expects too much of the Captain.

At any rate, those of us who decide not to tender to the port have the choice of staying on board. I sense that will become increasingly popular and suggest that Cunard ships do not curtail as many services on board at tender ports as they have in the past. Provide interesting on board alternatives to going ashore in tender ports. It will be in the best interest of all concerned, in my opinion.

Comparatively speaking I mean. Virtually everything within the UK is now not allowed if there is the slightest risk to anyone.

A similar operation in industry would rightly not be permitted. It's an accident waiting to happen and this one will not be the last.

Of course a smaller ship would dock easily in the ports that the big ships can't.

David.

A similar operation in industry would rightly not be permitted. It's an accident waiting to happen and this one will not be the last.

 

Of course a smaller ship would dock easily in the ports that the big ships can't.

 

David.

In some ports there is no option other than to tender regardless of the ship size.

Comparatively speaking I mean. Virtually everything within the UK is now not allowed if there is the slightest risk to anyone.

At some point people (and societies) have to acknowledge that everything in life involves some risk. Some number of air passengers die every year - should air travel be banned? Of course, there is risk involved in tendering: hopefully it is competently recognized by ships' operators and captains will elect to skip tender ports when conditions elevate the risk to an unacceptable level. Individuals should also be responsible to participate in the decision process - all activities cannot be made safe for all people - regardless of efforts to treat people with handicaps equally.