The ferry ran aground in Cleveleys - pushed to the shallows by a huge wave. The crew declared a mayday while sailing the vessel from Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland to Heysham. The accident, which left the ship stricken for the best part of a year, and the major rescue mission which involved three helicopters, two lifeboats, and a small army of emergency workers on the shore, attracted significant media attention. It was a dramatic sight. A sight which saw 100,000 tourists flock to the promenade to catch a glimpse of the Riverdance. The ferry was further bashed by heavy seas and it sank deeper and deeper into the sands. There was no way of righting it and so salvagers faced the heavy task of breaking it up. We reported extensively on the tenth anniversary back in 2018 and now we rewind with a gallery of photos which captured the scenes and the aftermath.
From the archives: Riverdance 10 years on: The frantic final minutes aboard the ill-fated ferryIn case you missed it: Streets, landmarks and shops on the Fylde Coast that set the scene in the 1990sLOVE NOSTALGIA? LOVE LANCASHIRE? Join our Facebook page Lancashire Nostalgia
