A major search operation was launched after the vessel overturned in the Peatland Firth. Eight people were reported to have been on board the Cypriot-registered Cemfjord, a cargo ship carrying 2000 tons of cement. The upturned hull was found by a passing ferry, Hrossey, in the Pentland Firth. Caitlin Ditchfield, a passenger, on the Hrossey told the BBC: “We realised we had stopped. Looking out the window, my sister noticed the hull of this giant ship out of the ocean. “We didn’t move for a while from when we saw it. The captain gave an announcement to say they had contacted the coastguard, that we were actually the first to come across this, and they had asked us to start conducting a search for any debris or lifeboats.” She said it had been “quite a rough crossing” but added that conditions were “not too bad” when they spotted the overturned vessel. She added: “Everyone was trying to help with the search, looking out the windows to see what they could.” Ms Ditchfield said: “After being there for about an hour the weather conditions did get a lot worse and you could see the storm coming towards us. “We were there for about two and a half hours. As we left, it was completely black, dark outside and the weather conditions were quite bad.”
Four lifeboats, two rescue helicopters and other vessels were involved in the search for the crew. Shetland Coastguard co-ordinating rescue efforts. The NorthLink ferry Hrossey also took part in the early stages of the operation.
The 83m Cemfjord had been sailing to Runcorn in Cheshire. The last confirmed sighting of the vessel was at about 13:00 on Friday 2 January. It was understood the alarm was raised by the crew of the ferry Hrossey at 14:30 on Saturday 3 January. Brise of Hamburg, managers of the Cemfjord, said in a statement that the crew consisted of seven Poles and a Filipino. It added: "No distress call was received from the vessel. Bad weather prevailed in the area at the time and conditions remain difficult at the scene, with storm force winds. "The company is in the process of informing the families."
According to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, they reported no survivors in the immediate vicinity.
As darkness fell, lifeboats from Stromness, Scrabster, Longhope and Wick searched the area along with the helicopters, the Shetland coastguard aircraft and an RAF rescue helicopter.
Bill Farquhar from the Wick RNLI station said: "We got a call this afternoon (3 January) about two o'clock that the Shetland ferry - the Hrossey - had spotted the hull of a coaster upside down 10 miles east of Pentland Skerries. "The last known position on marine traffic was at quarter past one yesterday (2 January), so that was the last known position we had of the ship. "The weather at that time yesterday was pretty, pretty, bad." He added: "I don't know what happened after that and I don't think anyone does to tell you the truth."
The vessel was in the waters of the Pentland Firth but despite extensive efforts to locate the missing people, the search was suspended just after 4pm on 5 January after no trace of them was found. A sonar ship travelled to the area to search for the sunken ship and assess how it was lying. Pharos, which was operated by the Northern Lighthouse Board, located the Cemfjord close to where the upturned hull was last seen.
A liferaft from the cargo ship was discovered drifting in the Pentland Firth, but a winchman lowered on board found no signs that anyone had used it.
A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FIA) was subsequently held at Wick in January 2023 and on the final day of the inquiry it was stated that the discovery of the Cemfjord by the ferry Hrossey, might never have been made if the ferry's crew had not deviated from their usual course due to bad weather.
Principal procurator fiscal depute Stella Swan said the loss of the entire crew of the Cyprus-registered cement carrier meant it would never be known why certain decisions were made on the day of the accident.
Referring to evidence from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), she said winds at the time were gusting to 80 to 90mph and waves were 10m or higher.
She said the crew of two larger ferries had delayed their journeys due to the state of the sea, which was described as "extraordinarily violent".
The inquiry heard the wreck site had become the final resting place for the men, and was also told arrangements were made for their families to visit the site.
Seven Polish nationals and one man from the Philippines died in the sinking.
They were:
Four lifeboats, two rescue helicopters and other vessels were involved in the search for the crew. Shetland Coastguard co-ordinating rescue efforts. The NorthLink ferry Hrossey also took part in the early stages of the operation.
The 83m Cemfjord had been sailing to Runcorn in Cheshire. The last confirmed sighting of the vessel was at about 13:00 on Friday 2 January. It was understood the alarm was raised by the crew of the ferry Hrossey at 14:30 on Saturday 3 January. Brise of Hamburg, managers of the Cemfjord, said in a statement that the crew consisted of seven Poles and a Filipino. It added: "No distress call was received from the vessel. Bad weather prevailed in the area at the time and conditions remain difficult at the scene, with storm force winds. "The company is in the process of informing the families."
According to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, they reported no survivors in the immediate vicinity.
As darkness fell, lifeboats from Stromness, Scrabster, Longhope and Wick searched the area along with the helicopters, the Shetland coastguard aircraft and an RAF rescue helicopter.
Bill Farquhar from the Wick RNLI station said: "We got a call this afternoon (3 January) about two o'clock that the Shetland ferry - the Hrossey - had spotted the hull of a coaster upside down 10 miles east of Pentland Skerries. "The last known position on marine traffic was at quarter past one yesterday (2 January), so that was the last known position we had of the ship. "The weather at that time yesterday was pretty, pretty, bad." He added: "I don't know what happened after that and I don't think anyone does to tell you the truth."
The vessel was in the waters of the Pentland Firth but despite extensive efforts to locate the missing people, the search was suspended just after 4pm on 5 January after no trace of them was found. A sonar ship travelled to the area to search for the sunken ship and assess how it was lying. Pharos, which was operated by the Northern Lighthouse Board, located the Cemfjord close to where the upturned hull was last seen.
A liferaft from the cargo ship was discovered drifting in the Pentland Firth, but a winchman lowered on board found no signs that anyone had used it.
A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FIA) was subsequently held at Wick in January 2023 and on the final day of the inquiry it was stated that the discovery of the Cemfjord by the ferry Hrossey, might never have been made if the ferry's crew had not deviated from their usual course due to bad weather.
Principal procurator fiscal depute Stella Swan said the loss of the entire crew of the Cyprus-registered cement carrier meant it would never be known why certain decisions were made on the day of the accident.
Referring to evidence from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), she said winds at the time were gusting to 80 to 90mph and waves were 10m or higher.
She said the crew of two larger ferries had delayed their journeys due to the state of the sea, which was described as "extraordinarily violent".
The inquiry heard the wreck site had become the final resting place for the men, and was also told arrangements were made for their families to visit the site.
Seven Polish nationals and one man from the Philippines died in the sinking.
They were:
- Master Pawel Chruscinski, 43
- Chief officer Jaroslaw Orlow, 54
- Chief engineer Roman Tamas, 56
- Third engineer Jerome Narvas, 32
- Ordinary seaman Henryk Dubanowski, 55
- Ordinary seaman Tomasz Kwiatkowski, 31
- Able seaman Artur Podrazka, 24
- Ordinary seaman and cook Artur Wegorek, 24