The Motława ferry disaster was a cable ferry shipwreck that happened on 1 August 1975 on the Motława in the city of Gdańsk, causing 18 deaths among the passengers.
 The site of the disaster in 2011 | |
| Date | August 1, 1975 |
|---|---|
| Time | 3:00 p.m. (UTC+02:00) |
| Location | Śródmieście, Gdańsk |
| Coordinates | 54°21′17″N 18°39′58″E / 54.3546°N 18.6660°E |
| Cause | Snagging of ferry cable by passing ship |
| Outcome | Sinking of the ferry in around 1 minute; 18 of the 40 passengers killed |
Background
editAt the time of the sinking, St. Dominic's Fair was happening in Gdańsk, causing an influx of tourists into the city. In the northern area of the city centre, between Wiosna Ludów and Sienna Grobla Streets, a cable ferry service operated on the Motława. At times during the fair, it was reported that the ferries running the route were handling up to 75 passengers at once.[1] The ferry involved in the sinking, ferry no. 2, had a tin roof amidships, as well as tarpaulin walls. However, it had no ballast tanks.[2]
Sinking
editAt 2:45 p.m. CEST (UTC+02:00) on 1 August 1975, the ferry, commanded by ferryman Jerzy Kozłowski,[3] docked in Sienna Grobla and boarded a new load of 40 passengers for the voyage to Wiosny Ludów. However, the voyage was delayed by traffic in the Motława River—first, by a passing motorboat of the Milicja Obywatelska, then by the charter cruise ship Lucyna. The wave that the passing of these ships caused resulted in the ferry being pushed away from its dock and down the cables.[2]
At the same time, the Żegluga Gdańska cruise ship Maryla was sailing down the Motława, in the ferry's vicinity. Kozłowski panicked and clamped the grip of the ferry's propulsion mechanism onto the cable, hoping to guide it back to shore, but he also tightened the cable with the motion.[4] As Maryla passed near ferry no. 2, it snagged the tightened cable and pulled the ferry down, causing it to sink within a minute. Several passengers survived, but many others were sucked down with the ship, or given no chance of escape because of the tin roof above them preventing it.[2]
Aftermath
editImmediately after the ferry sank, rescue operations began. The captain of the Maryla, as well as a few nearby vessels, began aiding survivors. For the next 2 days, bodies were recovered from the wreck until all 18 dead were found. 15 of the bodies were found attached to the ceiling of the vessel. The ferryman was sentenced to 11 months in prison in January 1977.[5][2]
References
edit- ^ Chudzyński, Tomasz (8 October 2022). "Sześćdziesiąt sekund tragedii. W roku 1975 w katastrofie promu na Motławie w Gdańsku zginęło 18 osób". dziennikbaltycki.pl. Dziennik Bałtycki. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Szermer, Bohdan (17 October 2005). "Katastrofa promu na Motławie". trojmiasto.pl. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Wudel, Marta (1 August 2024). "Katastrofa promu na Motławie. W ciągu zaledwie minuty życie straciło 18 osób". g.pl. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Abramowicz, Dorota (26 August 2012). "Zapomniana historia Gdańska. 37 lat temu zatonął prom na Motławie". gdansk.naszemiasto.pl. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Białke, Karolina Łucja (1 August 2017). "Katastrofa promu na Motławie - to już 42 lata". strefahistorii.pl. Retrieved 26 August 2024.