UPDATED: Wightlink’s Yarmouth to Lymington car ferry service remains suspended this morning (Wednesday) following an engine room fire on board ‘Wight Sky’.
Emergency services were mobilised to Yarmouth Harbour at around 22:00 last night when a fire was reported in the engine room of the roll on-roll off car ferry, as first reported by Island Echo.
Needles Coastguard Rescue Team, Police, ambulance crews, 5 fire appliances, an aerial ladder platform and the rescue tender all attended the scene. Firefighters used breathing apparatus and a hose reel to bring the fire under control before leaving the scene at around midnight.
A man in his 50s sustained burns to his face, neck and hands as a result of the fire, but he is said to have since been discharged from hospital.
Wightlink are operating a 2 hourly coach shuttle service from Lymington to Portsmouth and Yarmouth to Fishbourne for foot passengers. Anyone with a booking for Lymington or Yarmouth today has been transferred to the Fishbourne-Portsmouth route.
The Maritime Accident Investigation Branch has been informed of the incident.
UPDATE @ 14:00 – Wightlink’s Yarmouth service is planned to resume this afternoon.
It is initially expected to be a 2-hourly service using the Wight Light ferry (15:00, 17:00, 19:05, 21:05 from Lymington: 16:05, 18:05: 20:10 and 21:50 from Yarmouth).
Wightlink apologises to customers for the inconvenience caused to customers.
Chief Executive Keith Greenfield says:
“I want to pay tribute to the crew of Wight Sky who acted in an exemplary manner throughout to deal with the incident and minimise disruption to customers. All Wightlink crew members are experienced sailors and practise their emergency drills regularly.”
