Back in 1990 the Irving Forest sank in the North Atlantic.
From the marine accident report
IRVING FOREST
a Bermudian Registered 8,100 tonne deadweight ship left
St John, Canada, on 6 January 1990 with 18 crew and one supernumerary (wife
of crew member) on board, carrying a cargo of wood pulp and newsprint. Her
first port of call was scheduled to be Rouen, France with an estimated date of
arrival of 14 January.
Late on the 10th, in mid-North Atlantic, during storm weather conditions of
65
knot winds (Beaufort force 12) and 6-9 metre seas, the ship took a
starboard list of some 20 degrees, as a result of ingress of water into the
starboard side ballast tanks.
Early on the 11th as a result of the heavy list and the prevailing conditions the
ship suffered a total blackout which resulted in loss of propulsion. A deck
stowed container was lost overboard and subsequently three other deck stowed
containers were also lost.
By noon on the 11th the ship, in mid-North Atlantic without any power, was
listing to starboard. The Master sent out a distress call at 1210 hours
(1310 GMT) and as a result contact was made with BT NESTOR a tanker of
69,900 tonnes deadweight which was some 3 hours steaming time away from
IRVING FOREST.
Everyone was then mustered on the port side of the boat deck in their survival
suits and the Master's plan was to abandon IRVING FOREST on the arrival
of BT NESTOR which was estimated as 1615 hours local time.
During the preparations to abandon ship using the 20 man inflatable liferaft
stowed on the boat deck - portside - the 2nd Engineer's wife (the
supernumerary), the Chief Officer and a GP seaman were washed overboard.
Fortunately an RAF Nimrod aircraft had arrived over the ship at this crucial
time and they dropped an air-sea rescue pack including two inflatable liferafts,
one of which the three persons in the sea eventually boarded.
The remaining members of the crew subsequently left the ship by jumping
overboard while hooked onto the ship's liferaft painter, the liferaft having been
successfully launched into the sea.
All IRVING FOREST'S crew, including the supernumerary, were embarked
aboard BT NESTOR by 1900 hours local time.
http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources...t_pub_1992.pdf
Unfortunately I do not have any photographs, but I can remember seeing them. Someone may have them somewhere.
Y_G