The captain of a cargo ship involved in a collision with a passenger ferry in Belfast Lough was today arrested.
Passengers on the Stena ferry said they feared disaster when they were initially warned they may have to abandon the ship, before it was confirmed they could safely complete their journey.
The 55-year-old was detained as the investigation continued into last night’s incident where both vessels suffered damage, but no one was injured.
The Stena ferry was travelling from Birkenhead to Belfast when the collision occurred at around 7.45pm at the entrance to the Lough.
In daylight the full scale of the damage to the bow of the Union Moon cargo vessel could be seen.
Cahill Loughran, who was on the ferry with his wife and four children, said: “They said we might have to get into lifeboats, they weren’t sure what the damage was, and then the captain came on and said the damage was above the waterline.
“There was a hole, but it was above the waterline.”
Passengers on the ferry told the BBC they felt a “massive bang”, before emergency alarms went off and the captain said lifeboats were being prepared and passengers should put on life belts.
They praised staff for remaining calm and co-ordinating passengers on board.
Police are assisting the Maritime and Coastguard agency in an investigation into the incident.
There were 51 passengers and 47 crew on board the ferry.
A spokesman said there were no reports of injuries and everyone on the ferry had safely disembarked in Belfast.
Ulster Unionist representative Roy Beggs said: “First and foremost there will be a great deal of relief that this incident did not result in casualties as we could have been dealing with a tragedy and there will also be concern as to how this was able to happen in the first place.
“Many people will rightly be asking just how two modern vessels with state-of-the-art navigation equipment can collide in a major shipping lane.
“This question must be answered in order to maintain public confidence and to ensure that the excellent safety record is maintained.”
A spokeswoman for Stena Line, Diane Poole, said staff were regularly trained to deal with emergencies.
“Our staff are very well prepared for any situation at sea,” she said.
“I have to say I am extremely proud of them. They held very calm and looked after the passengers.”
She said the company would be writing to passengers to ensure they were satisfied with how the incident had been handled.
Ms Poole said Stena Line was co-operating fully with the investigation.