Even if the accident itself wasn't the fault of Henderson, the fact that he just said "I think I sank a boat, but I got places to be, peace out" and then left the scene without even attempting to rescue anyone and after being instructed to stay, that should be a chargeable offense right there...
Right? That was the most shocking thing about this entire incident, his complete lack of concern over literally running over a boatful of young people and just...going on about his business.
@@susanowen1709 I feel like the only just outcome for him is if someone hit him with a car and he survives it with serious injuries but they just drive away and that person doesn't get in trouble at all for it...
So you reply to my comment, and those after you, decide to totally mitigate what is fact about the symptoms of severe shock, and you quote the man incorrectly too. He didn't say I've got places to be, peace out, he frankly went into automatic function for a moment, and lost his situational awareness completely, as you can in shock. I don't want to upset anybody, but just remember a time when you were told of the passing of a close loved one, how hazy things might have been for a time. When my Mother passed away aged just 53 suddenly, I was in that state for at least two months. I was alive, I remember it. I can't remember a single thing of 'life' that happened though. Autopilot. Thankfully neither a court, nor an enquiry looks to actively make anybody guilty. Two sides of the same story are told and a jury or a judge, or in this case the person who presided of an enquiry that was held a whole decade later. You have become judge, jury and executioner based upon a 10 minute video.
@ghost mall If you have already decided that the Captains actions before, during and after were all consciously made decisions, and the result of nothing else, yes. Go back to the video and especially the diagram of both boats courses a moment before impact. First of all, the Marchioness is 'on the wrong side of the road.' Martime law travels on the opposite of our roads. Up on the right, and down on the left. Why was the Marchioness turning between the legs of a bridge, where it will have been almost certainly very dark, with the relatively light conditions on the Thames, turning suddenly. We were also shown that both bridges were set down and at the rear of both vessels, making forward views almost impossible from the standard position. We cannot question the Captain of the sunken ship, and of course, many of these answers are to questions that may well not have been asked, because it is very hard to take yourself down a channel which could possibly point to the most fatal errors being made by the young pleasure boat Captain. He is dead and cannot defend himself. One unspoken reason for the enquiry turning out as it did (could be) that a high blood alcohol level was found in the victim Captain, that would have worked as a quiet cushion for the fact the last error was the Bowbelle's Captain. A road analogy stops working at this point, because you hit the brakes and the vehicle stops. The Bowbelle has no brakes, and might not have had a powerful engine to produce reverse thrust, by throwing the control into reverse. Either way, when you spot something that close before impact, the heavier ship will take some time to stop, at least out from the bridge as was testified to, which in boat terms in not far at all. A fully loaded Supertanker takes an astonishing 14 minutes to bring to a stop, and that is an emergency stop too. If, one were to hit a much smaller vessel, at best it would still be 10 minutes, no matter what.
These are excerpts are from a guardian article regarding the case. “The captain, now 42 and still a serving seaman, admitted misleading police about the number of people on lookout duty that night. He admitted drinking six pints and then sleeping for a little under three hours before the Bowbelle's night-time journey. He also declared that rescuing the drowning passengers of the Marchioness "was not one of my top priorities". “Asked by Michael Mansfield, QC, acting for a group of 87 Marchioness relatives, "Was there anything you would have done in a different manner?" he declined to speak of rescue, saying: "I would have made sure the lookouts had written instructions ... because it would have saved a lot of questions, the ones I've just faced." This “captain” is an absolute piece of shit and I hope his actions haunt him for the rest of his life.
That's absolutely enfuriating. So, saving human lives wasn't one of his top priorities?? I don't wish anyone's harm so I hope he has someone to who saving his life is his top priority if he ever needs rescuing...
I agree with your description of the captain. I wonder if a blood alcohol test was performed? Did anyone ask this heartless uncaring piece of excrement if his 6 pints were delicious. That's almost 9 victims per pint. Doesn't sound like a good tradeoff.
“Insufficient evidence.” Right, besides the fleeing from the seen, drunk driving, and not paying attention. How can someone take away fifty one lives like such and then just get acquitted as a result? Crazy.
Because of insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. You must not understand the importance of such laws but you will. The libtards are quickly taking away our civility
It wasn't possible to prove he was drunk because in the chaos no blood test was given, although that speculation was put forth during trial. Also, the defense argued that the Marchioness was not in its lane, leading to the collision. The jury obviously bought it. Twice.
The fact that most people were rescued in the first half hour is arguably proof that the Bowbelle could have made a significant difference if they assisted in the rescue efforts. Regardless of culpability, its basic humanity to try and help.
While he should have, if these people had been "partying" and drunk a lot of alcohol, many of the most drunk were probably doomed when they hit the water.
Honestly the Bowbelle wouldn't have been a good rescue vessel, being so large and high up from the water, and could potentially have been dangerous to the smaller vessels working to rescue people (especially since she was being piloted by a drunk). Not to excuse the captain's absolutely shitty behaviour that night.
@@Ellie-rx3jt yeah, they probably wouldn't have been able to actively do much but they could have at least moved but stayed near the scene to be available for questioning. I have no idea if such a vessel would have them (feels likely for an industrial boat), but if it had positionable flood lights they could have helped by mooring to a side and pointing them at the wreck.
@@Ellie-rx3jt it may not have been hugely effective, but we'll never know. They didn't even throw life buoys into the water. The captain admitted in court that the wellbeing of victims wasnt a top priority for him. He didn't even mention passenger rescue in his initial communication, he was more concerned with documenting his excuses. I think that's why I find the accompanying lack of action so egregious. If it were me, I'd want to know I'd done absolutely all I could.
@@realAniram there was plenty of light very quickly... all the bridges and the parliament docks had floodlights for security reasons... arguably though, they hindered rather than helped, blinding the search boats because of lacking coordination... generally, it was a very poor decision to have those people there in the first place... some (before the accident) compared such parties to picnickers on an active runway or on the northern corridor (the main rail-link north)... the two industries could not co-exist in that space... and the war of who will dominate cost 51 lives (actually more, but the other accidents being single kayakers, meant they did not each hit home so hard)
I remember hearing about this and how terribly the media treated the victims; it was all portrayed as a party boat full of 'youths' that were somehow to blame for their own end. I also recall hearing about one survivor who was so traumatised, that when he managed to swim to shore he simply 'went home' because he was in such stunned shock at what he had been through, as if it had been a dream. I'm amazed not more people know about this story, those poor people. RIP to the victims.
I'm a Londoner and I only heard about this for the first time a year or two ago, just by my own curiosity to see if any ships had sank on the Thames. I, too, am surprised not many know about it.
@@Futures_End I would say most people who were living in London at the time know about it. But memories can be short. How many people know about the SS Princess Alice which sank in the Thames after a collision near Woolwich in 1878 with the loss of around 650 people? The biggest inland shipping disaster in British history.
I can't believe that the guy that was basically DRINKING AND DRIVING was acquitted. Why is it okay when it comes to boats? Can you also drink and fly a plane? It's ridiculous
Well, he did rest and there would be no legally sound way to prove how much alcohol was left in his blood. However, that shouldn't really matter, because intentionally leaving the scene of the accident, while on duty and instructed otherwise, is way worse and he should've been charged for that.
Why was the captain of the the Bowbelle acquitted of the the Marchoness tragedy? Not only did he captain the ship in an unfit state, he left the scene of the disaster and failed to rescue survivors. Totally shocking
@@snorpenbass4196 Didn't you know? The law only applies to the middle and lower class in the US! Once you make your billionth dollar you can murder babies in cold blood and get off with 6 months probation and a fine!
@ghost mall They might get convicted, but if a judge thinks favorably of the defendant, they might get little more than sent to bed without supper. The affluenza kid Ethan Couch killed 4 people and got 10 years probation. The rapist Brock Turner spent only 3 months in jail.
I'm old enough to remember the late 1980s as a time of large scale traumatic events in the UK. The Marchioness disaster happened on the heels of other back-to-back disasters. The capsizing of the Herald of Free Enterprise (193 dead), the King's Cross fire (31 dead), the Piper Alpha oil rig fire (167 dead), the Lockerbie bombing (243 dead), the Clapham Junction rail disaster (35 dead), and the Hillsborough disaster (96 dead).
@chegeny Holy hell. Thank you for mentioning these tragedies. If @Fascinating Horror sees your comment and the replies, they've got about 7 more episodes dropped in their lap. I would very much like to watch them. Cheers from Pennsylvania 🇺🇸
Yes, I was in my early twenties then. It sure was a bad time for some inexplicable reason! Fortunately, health and safety has come a long way since then.
Have to say I'm really impressed that the recovery teams managed to locate all 51 victims. Usually with aquatic disasters there are people who are just never found. To have everyone fully accounted for is a real feat.
@Nicky L True. I was referring more to there only being two directions a body can travel on a river (up or down river). At sea, they can go in any direction, and so you have a far larger area to cover.
It's a brilliant example of kill confirmed. It's a very important part of eradicating the leeches and parasitic oligarchs like those on the stricken vessel.
“And Henderson was formally acquitted”. Umm okay but if he’s not at fault in any other way what about the fleeing the scene? If I cause a reck on the roads I could get charged with fleeing the scene but this guy defied orders to help in the rescue effort but walked away unpunished??
Yeah thought that was weird. Fleeing the scene, at least in the US, is a felony and you can do significant jail time for it. Not sure about the laws in the UK
@@gwyny420 They don't bother looking for someone over here who flees, unless there is a fatality or very serious injury, as far as I know. if it's just damage, they don't bother.
I'd be the first to say "I smell bribes," but it's an incredible pattern that almost nobody who causes disasters actually does any significant time for it.
Keep in mind that he had a much bigger and heavier ship that traveled at higher speeds. Ships cant be easily halted like cars or trains. Water does not allow for that. Likely, if he had tried to stop and help, he would have been to late, or maybe even made the situation worse. All he could have done is lower rescue boats into the water to go help. If he had any. Which it seems he did not. Him informing the coast guard was all he could and needed to do. Aside of paying better attention before the collision...
I knew a barrister involved in the enquiry. The Bowbelle was unladen at the time of the collision. Without the weight of mud she was designed to carry, the bow was sitting much higher than the low wheelhouse, meaning the captain could not see ahead. The usual practice was to position a crew member up on the bow with a couple of lamps he could use to indicate whether the craft needed to go left or right. There was no radio communications between the wheelhouse and the bow, meaning the lookout had no way of alerting the captain. Combine this with the alcohol consumed by the captain, and it was a disaster waiting to happen. RIP all who perished.
@@mayday6916 probably because when it is fully loaded the ship tends to sit lower in the water. Not much of a boat if the ship sinks when you load it due to water coming over the sides.
One thing that my mind keeps coming back to is that, on top of all the other horrors these people faced, "water" is a pretty generous word for what the Thames is made of (and probably more so back in the '80s, come to that).
It's insane to me that this drunk destroyed another ship, KEPT GOING and got in zero trouble. I mean, he had absolutely no remorse, no regrets, he just said "I have to keep going..." and bailed on everyone he murdered. Unbelievable!
I'm surprised there was no mention of how truly horrific the aftermath was and how badly the victims and their families were treated. Many of those who died had their hands completely cut off for identification, and so were burried without them. One was an artist and there's an interview with his mother who is heart broken that he used his hands and they were removed from him and he wasn't buried with them. Another family were given the body of a white person, but they were black. Horrible mix up. No justice or kindness for them at all
I also recall that there was not a lot of sympathy for the victims at the time, because a lot of them came from wealthy backgrounds and because they had been partying on a pleasure - as if that were a crime worthy of death. Really sickening.
Where do you get this stuff, some database of tragic and under-reported disasters? I'm legitimately surprised how I'm consistently learning something new each week. You do an amazing job of curating these incidents that seem to slip through the cracks. Anyone could talk about the Titanic or Hindenburg (hell, I'd love to see your take someday), but you always seem to find the rare or forgotten moments that ought to be remembered.
This was chilling to listen to. There was a very similar case in Budapest in 2019. The collision happened in almost the same manner iirc, the small cruise ship, Hableány ("Little Mermaid") being submerged in seconds. Only 7 people out of the 35 on board survived, with months of search for the last bodies to be recovered. (Two were never found iirc but not sure)
So a captain in charge of a large ship colliding with a smaller vessel, who has been in and out of pubs drinking all evening, is acquitted? OMG! No justice there then.
I had several Australian friends that passed away on the Marchioness through this accident. I can still remember the TV news reports of the time and the shock we all had as the names were read out. I'll never forget my friends and this terrible unfortunate accident. Thank you for creating and posting this clip and all of the information that you have provided. DM.
Every episode having a "changes were implemented to prevent another disaster like this from happening" moment gives me so much hope. We really do learn.
Bowbelle was sold in 1992 to Sealsands Maritime, operating out of Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; she was renamed Billo. Four years later she was sold to Antonio Pereira & Filhos of Funchal, Madeira, who named the vessel Bom Rei. She broke in two and sank off Madeira the same year with the loss of one crew member - from Wikipedia
I just can’t even wrap my head around how the Bowbelles captain said “I got distracted my some pretty lights sunk a boat killed some people but you know I’m on a tight schedule so peace✌️” and then to not be convicted he admitted to doing a hit and run
Interesting fact: The four lifeboat stations on the Thames account for around 10% of all lifeboat call-outs each year. To put that in perspective, the RNLI operates 238 stations around the coast of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
@@peterf.229 Not dumb at all. Prior to the Marchioness, the last big disaster on the Thames was the loss of the steamer 'Princess Alice' in 1878. Most other accidents were small enough that the police boats and fire service boats could handle them. So the Marchioness disaster was the biggest accident on the Thames for 100 years outside of wartime.
Thank you for saying interesting instead of fun. I can't stand it when people say that about a bad situation. I'm also glad you posted this because I was curious about how much it made a difference after
@@simonbeaird7436 What yo say is true, since the Thames is covered by the London emergency services, including police craft trained in rescue. The London fire brigade boats are equipped to fight huge fires on the dockside, so a boat fire is just a minor event to them. With the Thames being in view from the land 24/7, most of the calls to the RNLI are false alarms, such as a floating body turning out to be a sack of rubbish. However, they work alongside the police to make the river safer and deter illegal activities. However you look at it, prevention is always better than cure and without doubt the RNLI have saved lives, not to mention a few whales and seals.
The setting up of the rescue stations on the Thames is one of those things that gives weight to the old saying, "Better late than never". That's not to minimize the deaths of the 51 people mentioned, but a way of agreeing that some tragedies actually end up saving many more lives than were lost, which is always a good thing. Better to have good come out of tragedy than more tragedy.
Flew out of Heathrow the morning after this happened. Having been through there many times, the entirety of the airport was unusually quiet and subdued. Everyone was either glued to any available TV or radio or had their head buried in the morning rags. In particular, I can remember one of the little bar/pub things and a small 2 person table with about a dozen people crammed around it listening to a radio that an employee had brought out because the place didn't have a TV.
I am truly shocked he got away with it. If this happened on a road he'd have been charged with DUI, fleeing the scene, manslaughter, and possibly driving without due care or wreckless driving.
The most frustrating part of watching these videos is finding out most of the time the people responsible for these tragedies end up completely getting away with it.
Some other facts about this disaster, It was kind of a horror story with the investigation to identify the victims and inform the families as some of the victims of the disaster had their hands cut off. The bowbelle was sold twice before herself sinking after breaking in two with the loss of just one crew member. One of the survivors dived to see the wreck the of the ship that nearly killed him.
I recall a lot of reporting in Private Eye about the bodies being mutilated with hand removal etc. must have made the loss even harder for the victims’ families
@@hoagy_ytfc I struggle to see why the hands were cut off >< thats a crime in itself as one of the victims was an artist and me being an artist myself, the hands are the tools and it was an insult to cut them off.
@@EzratheRift they were purposefully cut off to make identification easier for the Corona. Absolute vile human who wouldn't even attend hearings or answer families questions. Reports range from 21 to 25 victims who had their hands cut off and families were not allowed to see the bodies of their loved ones because of it. No regard for human life at all
What a terrifying way to leave this world! One second you’re happily flirting with some cutie with a cocktail in hand, the next second you’re rocked to the floor, lights go out, and the enclosed room you’re in quickly begins to fill with dark, cold water. You have no time to react No time to open a door or bust a window. Once that water pressure seals those exits tight you are trapped and drinking the Thames til you’re not.
Insufficient evidence despite being drunk on the job, and formally acquitted despite fleeing the scene and admitting to it by radio. Sounds like a much more polite version of how the victims of the Aberfan Disaster were treated. The British seem to have a disturbing and disgusting knack for being completely indifferent to the victims of disasters once the immediate danger passes. "Welcome to Great Britain, if you suffer a disaster here, we will save you from danger, but we will not prosecute the people who put you in danger, no matter how much evidence you have of their guilt, and put all the blame on you the victim instead. We will also treat you like a criminal for seeking help with getting back on your feet."
I can confirm that. It's because of the corruption everywhere here. People get their jobs because they are related to someone higher up, not because they are competent. They therefore know they can do what they want, they won't get fired or help accountable for their actions. And indeed, if a victim of these goof ups complains, it's the victim that gets treated like the criminal, and told they are "just confused and didn't understand the situation"! Yup, a daily occurrence here in the UK!
I mean yeah, it's still like that today, people can't afford to warm their houses and feed their kids, the UN had to pop in and feed hungry children during the pandemic all while politicians eat for free, the list goes on. The British government does not, in any way, care about its population.
Fascinating indeed! I'm totally down for hearing more incidents or such from Britain that might not have made it over here across the pond. I'm glad those poor souls have been so remembered though.
It was a very big story in the UK for some time. By which I mean, British people were rightly aghast at this, not that you should have heard of it already. Hope that makes sense.
There is a common theme in almost all of these stories that no one is ever held accountable. It's always "we'll know better next time," but the relatives of the dead never get justice. And many times, the owners, captains, or other stakeholders carry on as if nothing happened and continue their lives as usual. It's a travesty.
1989!? And it took over a DECADE for a dedicated boat rescue service to come to one of the busiest waterways on the planet!? The Hudson had one since the 1800s! Britain, you will forever confound me!
This was my biggest takeaway. A thousand years on the Thames and only then the RNLI (who do a magnificent job) were stationed there? Government negligence.
Bear in mind that the RNLI is a charity run by volunteers so they are on-call not permanent duty.. Also that the police have a dedicated department for patrolling the Thames that would have covered rescues up until then. In this case the RNLI would have arrived on the scene too late for most.
This is the same country that had a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1824) decades before anyone got around to founding a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (1884). Priorities, man.
@@ZGryphon It was the RSPCA's work that made people aware of the way children were treated though. Part of the issue was an attitude that pervades, even today, that children belong to their parents and that you shouldn't interfere with how people bring up their children. People were campaigning on issues around children in the workplace before the NSPCC came along but I don't think there was a sense of treating children better than adults at that time so they had the same dangerous and appalling work conditions as everyone else.
@@ZGryphon animals are at mercy of their owners and random people. I still cannot understand why EVER someone wants to put animals against ch-ildr-ens as an argument. Sorry, do your part helping chil-dre-ns and let others to do what they want.
I'm surprised that he wasn't held accountable for leaving the scene. I realise the boat would take a while to stop and turn, but he doesn't seem to have made any effort to return. I remember being told about a similar incident which happened at Grangemouth Docks, with an oil tanker and a fishing boat being on the same course. Luckily disaster was averted, the oil tanker captain was disciplined internally, but the captain of the fishing boat was fined for swearing on the airwaves, as an oil tanker headed towards his tiny boat. So I guess breaking broadcasting rules was important but not almost causing a major accident. Here's hoping our maritime law has had an overhaul.
Not defending the captain but he probably would have had to get beyond Tower Bridge before he could turn. By then its possible the tide was too low. However that's only my speculation and I believe he should have been held accountable and imprisoned, he would have failed a drink drive test for starters.
Excellent video as always! May I also give a recommendation for another video? The Transrapit collision in Lathen, Germany in 2006. A very tragic story, that didn't only kill many people, but also put an end to the whole Transrapid project in the country. It was also the first fatal maglev accident in history.
Just 30 seconds before the boat was completely under water. That is just terrifying. I generally think of boats sinking as happening quite slowly. Not in such a short period of time. I can’t imagine the terror everyone on the boat experienced during this ordeal. Rest in peace to those 51 who perished.
Probably partly due to the size difference - the dredger was 30 times the weight of the Marchioness (and captained by a negligent idiot), so the smaller boat didn't really stand a chance.
One thing that stands out in all of these disasters is that they initially charge someone with negligence to appease the masses and then, later, drop the charges. No one is EVER held accountable for their indifference.
Before watching, I'd just like to say this intro/outro has become the sound of my dreams.. peaceful, less painful sleep. Thank you so much for creating, researching, editing, music & all. Excellence in every way! 🌻
This was one of a long line of disasters or mass-murder to happen in Britain in the space of just 2½ years: Zeebrugge, Hungerford, The Great Storm, Enniskillen, Kings Cross, Piper Alpha, Clapham Junction, Lockerbie, Kegworth, Purley, Hillsborough, Marchioness.
I live in London and I remember this well. It was a tragic and needless loss of life. The only good thing to come out of it was a complete overhaul of the regulations concerning trips on the Thames. There were trips on restored WW2 Ducks which had a habit of catching fire. They were also reviewed but I don't think any of them involved the loss of life.
Yes and one sank in Liverpool docks iirc although again everyone thankfully escaped. Strange that the Brits can't seem to operate DUKWs safely as pleasure craft when they've been touring the harbour in Boston MA for decades without incident.
Duck boat tours in the United States have a body count (including a particularly bad boat collision between one & a freight ship in my neck of the woods in Philly), so it's minorly lucky that no one was killed on any burning ones.
Great video. I really appreciate the fact that you try to find something positive in the midst of these tragedies. I'm relieved to know that the Coast Guard can now help keep people safe on the Thames.
Your channel always lives up to it's name. If you're looking for video ideas try the e. coli outbreak that occurred in Walkerton, Canada in May 2000 due to water contamination. I find it to be a fascinating tale of negligence, and I'm always horrified by the idea that my drinking water might kill me.
I remember this, I was about the age of those partygoers and still feel for them and the absolute terror they must have felt. So sad that a lovely night out became a tragedy so quickly.
For all the awfulness you cover in your videos, I really appreciate that you always end on the positive changes that came from these horrific episodes. Thanks, man. It's strangely comforting in a way, knowing we can learn from our mistakes ✌🏻
My son and I were in London once, for 10 days and took a nighttime boat ride on the Thames. It was a really nice dinner with a small band and small dance floor. I remember watching another boat approach and thinking "What the hell?!" With such a small area and so many boats on the river, you'd think those driving the boats would ALL be paying attention. As it was, the 2 boats were going towards each other and literally made contact as I watched, stunned by the incompetence. They just skimmed each other, but I now see it could have been far worse. The Thames is heavily trafficked and considering that was the 1 and only time I've ever been on it, I'm thinking it's not the safest place to be.
Again, you’ve brought to light another tragic event that I’ve never heard of. Thank you for your videos. Really sad to have so many souls lost with no accountability.
Wikipedia says one of the inquest juries returned a verdict of unlawful killing, despite being directed not to by the coroner. That jury can consider themselves the only part of the legal system which distinguished itself in this case.
I really appreciate how your narrations are easy to understand, not only with the your narrative structure and great sound production, but also because you understand the value of succintness. I also love the photos and the fact that you follow up on the repercussions of the incidents.
Would it be in your Purview to coverr the Laconia sinking? A British troopship transporting italian PoW's(including women and children) was fired upon by US planes who mistook it for an enemy ship. It was a huge disaster that cost thousands of lives but isn't widely known outside certain circles. I only know about it because I lost 2 great uncles, a deckhand and a boilerman (the boilerman got trapped and his brother, who got off on a lifeboat, leapt back in the water to swim back on board to be with him)
I always appreciate how you'll talk about the good things that come from horrific events like this. Whether it was new laws that were made to protect others, new sanctions, or even just an awareness of an issue. 👍 I look forward to your videos every Tuesday!
I remember this horrible tragedy on the news and on the front pages of all the papers. The Marchioness looked like such a small, fragile boat. It stood no chance when hit by the Bowbelle.
I can’t believe the captain of the Bowbelle got away Scott free after admitting to hitting a “pleasure cruiser” then continuing on his way without helping the vessel he hit!! What a disgrace! I’m happy that some good came out of the tragedy with the permanent placement of life boats and crew along the Thames.
What the heΙΙ? I don't know much about naval law but I know that if you kill someone (let alone 51) while drunk driving and then flee the scene, you're fucked. Why isn't Henderson rotting in prison?
I love this channel for it's content, and your wonderful, calm but slightly creepy narration. The intro music has the same calm and creepy feel. This is great for 3am, lights out viewing. As for this episode....it proves you can still get away with murder. The Captain of the dredger, in my own opinion, was guilty, if not for murder, then at a minimum, Manslaughter. Being drunk and "Fleeing the scene", definitely added to the loss of life. The Captain's flippant attitude directly after the accident as he "fled the scene" was ghastly. Great video....Great research! Keep em' coming!!!
I did some work for the company that owned the Marchioness. They told me that After it was salvaged, they took it away and had it destroyed because morbid collectors were trying to pinch parts off it as trophies.
The marchioness was towed to pipers wharf at greenwich and after inspections carried out by the maib it was scrapped in the drydock. The name boards were removed and kept by the company. The wheel is with the captains son
I was on the sister ship the Hurlingham that night, lots were rescued by the party goers on that boat infact I would describe many of them as heroes, always felt there's a whole chunk of evidence/eyewitness accounts missing here, I don't think many were interviewed at the time or after.
This one I remember, it came two nights after my 22nd birthday. But I'm amazed by the the long forgotten cases you feature, a real wealth of information, thank you.
Henderson shouldve plead guilty himself. It was his fault, he should have held himself accountable, and in lieu of that, should have been quartered by an angry mob of survivors and families of the deceased.
I'm shocked that the Thames had no coast guard until after this! I walk along it all the time and it's always super busy in and along the coast, that fact it took this tragedy to change that and within living memory is just wild to me.
We're all aware of varying dangers with water, but I can't imagine how near-instantaneous like this would feel. One moment you're hanging out with friends, probably quite drunk, and THIRTY SECONDS later you're trapped in a drowning cage. RIP
Bowbelle's drunk captain's fleeing the scene aside, isn't it the smaller vessel's duty to give way to larger vessels? Was hoping to hear more about responsibility.
Read the MAIB report by searching "MAIB report Marchioness" it should answer your questions about the incident but does not apportion blame which is the duty of the courts working within the limitations of the legal system.
I remember this tragedy when it happened. My early thoughts were how lucky that 80 people survived. I could have been so much worse and I didn't recall the crewman getting back on board and opening a door to help some escape. Should have named one of the lifeboats after him as well.
How Captain Henderson was not sentenced to Life in Prison for 51 counts of Homicide, is baffling. (To put it mildly.) Once again, the British criminal court system lives up to its reputation of being a worthless joke of one that the rest of the world rightfully looks at with disgust and distain.
@@sophierobinson2738 If anything, the U.S. system is accused of sometimes being too harsh. The British one often treats violent, repeat offenders as if they are naughty children who have gotten up to a bit mischief. Nanny State in all ways. Huge difference between a child playing with a cricket bat in the house and accidentally bashing a vase, compared to a grown man intentionally bashing someone's skull. But not to the British criminal court system. A light slap on the wrist, and on your way. Don't do that again.
Your documentaries are always well researched and I have enjoyed watching them. This one has touched me deeply, I just cannot believe the sheer arrogance of the Bowbelle's captain, what an utterly reprehensible person. Thanks for your tasteful way of presenting the horrors of our world.
A few years ago I was called to serve on a jury where the charge on the case was also "failing to keep a proper lookout". It was incredibly difficult to come to a decision, given the available evidence, as I'm sure it was here. However had the charge been "failing to give assistance following a known collision", the outcome would have been very different.
The Bowbelle's captain's indifference to helping victims is purely an act of bastardry and evil. Im surprised he wasnt charged on this
Bastardom
If I've learned anything from the videos on this channel......it's that nobody is held accountable for serious loss of life tragedies.
@@christopherweise438 I noticed this too. It’s shameful.
I’m surprised someone didn’t or still hasn’t knee capped him. People need to start taking justice into their own hands sometimes as justice is an a**e
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Even if the accident itself wasn't the fault of Henderson, the fact that he just said "I think I sank a boat, but I got places to be, peace out" and then left the scene without even attempting to rescue anyone and after being instructed to stay, that should be a chargeable offense right there...
Right? That was the most shocking thing about this entire incident, his complete lack of concern over literally running over a boatful of young people and just...going on about his business.
@@susanowen1709 I feel like the only just outcome for him is if someone hit him with a car and he survives it with serious injuries but they just drive away and that person doesn't get in trouble at all for it...
So you reply to my comment, and those after you, decide to totally mitigate what is fact about the symptoms of severe shock, and you quote the man incorrectly too. He didn't say I've got places to be, peace out, he frankly went into automatic function for a moment, and lost his situational awareness completely, as you can in shock. I don't want to upset anybody, but just remember a time when you were told of the passing of a close loved one, how hazy things might have been for a time. When my Mother passed away aged just 53 suddenly, I was in that state for at least two months. I was alive, I remember it. I can't remember a single thing of 'life' that happened though. Autopilot. Thankfully neither a court, nor an enquiry looks to actively make anybody guilty. Two sides of the same story are told and a jury or a judge, or in this case the person who presided of an enquiry that was held a whole decade later. You have become judge, jury and executioner based upon a 10 minute video.
@@stevenmacdonald9619 LMFAO, my quote was obviously a joke man, geebus... 🤦♂
@ghost mall If you have already decided that the Captains actions before, during and after were all consciously made decisions, and the result of nothing else, yes. Go back to the video and especially the diagram of both boats courses a moment before impact. First of all, the Marchioness is 'on the wrong side of the road.' Martime law travels on the opposite of our roads. Up on the right, and down on the left. Why was the Marchioness turning between the legs of a bridge, where it will have been almost certainly very dark, with the relatively light conditions on the Thames, turning suddenly. We were also shown that both bridges were set down and at the rear of both vessels, making forward views almost impossible from the standard position. We cannot question the Captain of the sunken ship, and of course, many of these answers are to questions that may well not have been asked, because it is very hard to take yourself down a channel which could possibly point to the most fatal errors being made by the young pleasure boat Captain. He is dead and cannot defend himself. One unspoken reason for the enquiry turning out as it did (could be) that a high blood alcohol level was found in the victim Captain, that would have worked as a quiet cushion for the fact the last error was the Bowbelle's Captain. A road analogy stops working at this point, because you hit the brakes and the vehicle stops. The Bowbelle has no brakes, and might not have had a powerful engine to produce reverse thrust, by throwing the control into reverse. Either way, when you spot something that close before impact, the heavier ship will take some time to stop, at least out from the bridge as was testified to, which in boat terms in not far at all. A fully loaded Supertanker takes an astonishing 14 minutes to bring to a stop, and that is an emergency stop too. If, one were to hit a much smaller vessel, at best it would still be 10 minutes, no matter what.
These are excerpts are from a guardian article regarding the case.
“The captain, now 42 and still a serving seaman, admitted misleading police about the number of people on lookout duty that night. He admitted drinking six pints and then sleeping for a little under three hours before the Bowbelle's night-time journey. He also declared that rescuing the drowning passengers of the Marchioness "was not one of my top priorities".
“Asked by Michael Mansfield, QC, acting for a group of 87 Marchioness relatives, "Was there anything you would have done in a different manner?" he declined to speak of rescue, saying: "I would have made sure the lookouts had written instructions ... because it would have saved a lot of questions, the ones I've just faced."
This “captain” is an absolute piece of shit and I hope his actions haunt him for the rest of his life.
That's absolutely enfuriating. So, saving human lives wasn't one of his top priorities?? I don't wish anyone's harm so I hope he has someone to who saving his life is his top priority if he ever needs rescuing...
Nah he was innocent.
The demons of hell are waiting for him, so don't worry.
I agree with your description of the captain. I wonder if a blood alcohol test was performed? Did anyone ask this heartless uncaring piece of excrement if his 6 pints were delicious. That's almost 9 victims per pint. Doesn't sound like a good tradeoff.
@@WizelBalan Makes you wish hard for a hell of some sort.
“Insufficient evidence.” Right, besides the fleeing from the seen, drunk driving, and not paying attention. How can someone take away fifty one lives like such and then just get acquitted as a result? Crazy.
Because of insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. You must not understand the importance of such laws but you will. The libtards are quickly taking away our civility
Welcome to Britain’s “justice” system.
And with TWO deadlocked jurys no less
It wasn't possible to prove he was drunk because in the chaos no blood test was given, although that speculation was put forth during trial. Also, the defense argued that the Marchioness was not in its lane, leading to the collision. The jury obviously bought it. Twice.
Hell, If he was an american, he'd probably go on to be elected to congress.
The fact that most people were rescued in the first half hour is arguably proof that the Bowbelle could have made a significant difference if they assisted in the rescue efforts.
Regardless of culpability, its basic humanity to try and help.
While he should have, if these people had been "partying" and drunk a lot of alcohol, many of the most drunk were probably doomed when they hit the water.
Honestly the Bowbelle wouldn't have been a good rescue vessel, being so large and high up from the water, and could potentially have been dangerous to the smaller vessels working to rescue people (especially since she was being piloted by a drunk). Not to excuse the captain's absolutely shitty behaviour that night.
@@Ellie-rx3jt yeah, they probably wouldn't have been able to actively do much but they could have at least moved but stayed near the scene to be available for questioning. I have no idea if such a vessel would have them (feels likely for an industrial boat), but if it had positionable flood lights they could have helped by mooring to a side and pointing them at the wreck.
@@Ellie-rx3jt it may not have been hugely effective, but we'll never know. They didn't even throw life buoys into the water. The captain admitted in court that the wellbeing of victims wasnt a top priority for him. He didn't even mention passenger rescue in his initial communication, he was more concerned with documenting his excuses. I think that's why I find the accompanying lack of action so egregious.
If it were me, I'd want to know I'd done absolutely all I could.
@@realAniram there was plenty of light very quickly... all the bridges and the parliament docks had floodlights for security reasons... arguably though, they hindered rather than helped, blinding the search boats because of lacking coordination...
generally, it was a very poor decision to have those people there in the first place... some (before the accident) compared such parties to picnickers on an active runway or on the northern corridor (the main rail-link north)...
the two industries could not co-exist in that space... and the war of who will dominate cost 51 lives (actually more, but the other accidents being single kayakers, meant they did not each hit home so hard)
I remember hearing about this and how terribly the media treated the victims; it was all portrayed as a party boat full of 'youths' that were somehow to blame for their own end. I also recall hearing about one survivor who was so traumatised, that when he managed to swim to shore he simply 'went home' because he was in such stunned shock at what he had been through, as if it had been a dream. I'm amazed not more people know about this story, those poor people. RIP to the victims.
Do you remember the name of that survivor?
because they were a bunch of rich Eurobros. why should we care about them?
I'm a Londoner and I only heard about this for the first time a year or two ago, just by my own curiosity to see if any ships had sank on the Thames. I, too, am surprised not many know about it.
@@Futures_End I would say most people who were living in London at the time know about it. But memories can be short. How many people know about the SS Princess Alice which sank in the Thames after a collision near Woolwich in 1878 with the loss of around 650 people? The biggest inland shipping disaster in British history.
Sounds like just another day for the corrupt mainstream media.
I can't believe that the guy that was basically DRINKING AND DRIVING was acquitted. Why is it okay when it comes to boats? Can you also drink and fly a plane? It's ridiculous
I also noticed it was 1989. The same year another infamous drunk Captain was on board the Exxon Valdez!
Well, he did rest and there would be no legally sound way to prove how much alcohol was left in his blood.
However, that shouldn't really matter, because intentionally leaving the scene of the accident, while on duty and instructed otherwise, is way worse and he should've been charged for that.
@@cybroxde He wasnt drinking coors light over there, no 2 hour nap is gonna sober you up after that.
It happens sometimes. The 2012 movie Flight is about a drunk pilot played by Denzel Washington.
Yeah but he went to prison
Why was the captain of the the Bowbelle acquitted of the the Marchoness tragedy? Not only did he captain the ship in an unfit state, he left the scene of the disaster and failed to rescue survivors. Totally shocking
@ghost mall Yes, that's why that billionaire who killed a guy by driving his yacht over them is in jail now.
...oh, wait, he's not.
@@snorpenbass4196 Didn't you know? The law only applies to the middle and lower class in the US! Once you make your billionth dollar you can murder babies in cold blood and get off with 6 months probation and a fine!
@ghost mall They might get convicted, but if a judge thinks favorably of the defendant, they might get little more than sent to bed without supper. The affluenza kid Ethan Couch killed 4 people and got 10 years probation. The rapist Brock Turner spent only 3 months in jail.
Because Juries are made of people and people are idiots.
@@VoxParanoia superb answer
I'm old enough to remember the late 1980s as a time of large scale traumatic events in the UK. The Marchioness disaster happened on the heels of other back-to-back disasters. The capsizing of the Herald of Free Enterprise (193 dead), the King's Cross fire (31 dead), the Piper Alpha oil rig fire (167 dead), the Lockerbie bombing (243 dead), the Clapham Junction rail disaster (35 dead), and the Hillsborough disaster (96 dead).
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There was also the Kegworth plane crash which killed 47.
Yes, after the Bradford City fire in 1986 it seemed that every other week brought headlines of some horrible disaster.
@chegeny Holy hell. Thank you for mentioning these tragedies. If @Fascinating Horror sees your comment and the replies, they've got about 7 more episodes dropped in their lap. I would very much like to watch them. Cheers from Pennsylvania 🇺🇸
Yes, I was in my early twenties then. It sure was a bad time for some inexplicable reason! Fortunately, health and safety has come a long way since then.
Have to say I'm really impressed that the recovery teams managed to locate all 51 victims. Usually with aquatic disasters there are people who are just never found. To have everyone fully accounted for is a real feat.
I guess it helped that it took place on a river rather than out at sea. That must cut down the search area a lot.
@Nicky L True. I was referring more to there only being two directions a body can travel on a river (up or down river). At sea, they can go in any direction, and so you have a far larger area to cover.
Two for sure directions they go are down and then up
I wouldn't be surprised if they found a few extra bodies while they were at it.
It's a brilliant example of kill confirmed. It's a very important part of eradicating the leeches and parasitic oligarchs like those on the stricken vessel.
“And Henderson was formally acquitted”. Umm okay but if he’s not at fault in any other way what about the fleeing the scene? If I cause a reck on the roads I could get charged with fleeing the scene but this guy defied orders to help in the rescue effort but walked away unpunished??
Yeah thought that was weird. Fleeing the scene, at least in the US, is a felony and you can do significant jail time for it. Not sure about the laws in the UK
The law applies in the uk too, problem is our justice system.
@@gwyny420 They don't bother looking for someone over here who flees, unless there is a fatality or very serious injury, as far as I know. if it's just damage, they don't bother.
I'd be the first to say "I smell bribes," but it's an incredible pattern that almost nobody who causes disasters actually does any significant time for it.
Keep in mind that he had a much bigger and heavier ship that traveled at higher speeds.
Ships cant be easily halted like cars or trains. Water does not allow for that.
Likely, if he had tried to stop and help, he would have been to late, or maybe even made the situation worse.
All he could have done is lower rescue boats into the water to go help.
If he had any. Which it seems he did not.
Him informing the coast guard was all he could and needed to do.
Aside of paying better attention before the collision...
I knew a barrister involved in the enquiry. The Bowbelle was unladen at the time of the collision. Without the weight of mud she was designed to carry, the bow was sitting much higher than the low wheelhouse, meaning the captain could not see ahead. The usual practice was to position a crew member up on the bow with a couple of lamps he could use to indicate whether the craft needed to go left or right. There was no radio communications between the wheelhouse and the bow, meaning the lookout had no way of alerting the captain. Combine this with the alcohol consumed by the captain, and it was a disaster waiting to happen. RIP all who perished.
I have always wondered why so many ships are constructed in a way that makes it impossible to see where you are going.
@@mayday6916 probably because when it is fully loaded the ship tends to sit lower in the water. Not much of a boat if the ship sinks when you load it due to water coming over the sides.
One thing that my mind keeps coming back to is that, on top of all the other horrors these people faced, "water" is a pretty generous word for what the Thames is made of (and probably more so back in the '80s, come to that).
yep, that occurred to me as well. Especially when it took them hours to even find the wreck of the ship... that ain't clear water they're diving in.
Well currents cause murky water just sayin
Nonsense. The Thames is perfectly clean water. Anything filtered through THAT many kidneys HAS to be clean.
It's insane to me that this drunk destroyed another ship, KEPT GOING and got in zero trouble. I mean, he had absolutely no remorse, no regrets, he just said "I have to keep going..." and bailed on everyone he murdered.
Unbelievable!
Counterpoint - aristocrats
Not murder but a negligent manslaughter.
I'm surprised there was no mention of how truly horrific the aftermath was and how badly the victims and their families were treated.
Many of those who died had their hands completely cut off for identification, and so were burried without them. One was an artist and there's an interview with his mother who is heart broken that he used his hands and they were removed from him and he wasn't buried with them.
Another family were given the body of a white person, but they were black. Horrible mix up.
No justice or kindness for them at all
@J B That is horrific. I wish FH had included that information as well. Damn.
Awful! It's clearer and clearer why the families organized. Insult to injury.
dead is dead
hands or no hands, dead is dead
Cut off?! That's insane and saddening
I also recall that there was not a lot of sympathy for the victims at the time, because a lot of them came from wealthy backgrounds and because they had been partying on a pleasure - as if that were a crime worthy of death. Really sickening.
Where do you get this stuff, some database of tragic and under-reported disasters?
I'm legitimately surprised how I'm consistently learning something new each week. You do an amazing job of curating these incidents that seem to slip through the cracks. Anyone could talk about the Titanic or Hindenburg (hell, I'd love to see your take someday), but you always seem to find the rare or forgotten moments that ought to be remembered.
@unownshipper Excellent comment. Hear, hear!
You can email him with details of a tragedy if it’s known to you. He takes suggestions. Viewers help supply him the content.
This is a very well known and widely reported incident in England. Where he gets his American and other stories from is another matter entirely.
I remember when this happened
Thats what i’m saying… who needs a formal education when you have fascinating horror and a hot asmr voice narration 😂😭
Lmfao Henderson like "I just sunk a ship, lots of people on board. Anyway, I'm about to exit the waterway. Talk later."
This was chilling to listen to. There was a very similar case in Budapest in 2019. The collision happened in almost the same manner iirc, the small cruise ship, Hableány ("Little Mermaid") being submerged in seconds. Only 7 people out of the 35 on board survived, with months of search for the last bodies to be recovered. (Two were never found iirc but not sure)
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@@rickrolled3666 shut up.
That’s exactly what I thought as well. The similarity between the two stories is eerie.
@@rickrolled3666 go home, android man. you’re showing a waste of our own AI tech.
exactly
So a captain in charge of a large ship colliding with a smaller vessel, who has been in and out of pubs drinking all evening, is acquitted? OMG! No justice there then.
Sounds like the American legal "system". 😒
I had several Australian friends that passed away on the Marchioness through this accident. I can still remember the TV news reports of the time and the shock we all had as the names were read out. I'll never forget my friends and this terrible unfortunate accident. Thank you for creating and posting this clip and all of the information that you have provided. DM.
Every episode having a "changes were implemented to prevent another disaster like this from happening" moment gives me so much hope. We really do learn.
And yet we have a raging pandemic still.
Bowbelle was sold in 1992 to Sealsands Maritime, operating out of Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; she was renamed Billo. Four years later she was sold to Antonio Pereira & Filhos of Funchal, Madeira, who named the vessel Bom Rei. She broke in two and sank off Madeira the same year with the loss of one crew member - from Wikipedia
I just can’t even wrap my head around how the Bowbelles captain said “I got distracted my some pretty lights sunk a boat killed some people but you know I’m on a tight schedule so peace✌️” and then to not be convicted he admitted to doing a hit and run
It makes me legit nauseous
That's crazy- they literally admitted to it but still got away on "insufficient evidence"
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Uk
Interesting fact: The four lifeboat stations on the Thames account for around 10% of all lifeboat call-outs each year. To put that in perspective, the RNLI operates 238 stations around the coast of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
Wow. A sorely needed service.
So , might be a dumb question but why didn’t they have them there before ? Was this the only accident on the Thames ?
@@peterf.229 Not dumb at all. Prior to the Marchioness, the last big disaster on the Thames was the loss of the steamer 'Princess Alice' in 1878. Most other accidents were small enough that the police boats and fire service boats could handle them. So the Marchioness disaster was the biggest accident on the Thames for 100 years outside of wartime.
Thank you for saying interesting instead of fun. I can't stand it when people say that about a bad situation. I'm also glad you posted this because I was curious about how much it made a difference after
@@simonbeaird7436 What yo say is true, since the Thames is covered by the London emergency services, including police craft trained in rescue. The London fire brigade boats are equipped to fight huge fires on the dockside, so a boat fire is just a minor event to them.
With the Thames being in view from the land 24/7, most of the calls to the RNLI are false alarms, such as a floating body turning out to be a sack of rubbish. However, they work alongside the police to make the river safer and deter illegal activities.
However you look at it, prevention is always better than cure and without doubt the RNLI have saved lives, not to mention a few whales and seals.
The setting up of the rescue stations on the Thames is one of those things that gives weight to the old saying, "Better late than never". That's not to minimize the deaths of the 51 people mentioned, but a way of agreeing that some tragedies actually end up saving many more lives than were lost, which is always a good thing. Better to have good come out of tragedy than more tragedy.
Great stuff as always, never knew about this. Also this is the first video I’ve stayed up for to watch. It’s 4 AM in the US but it is worth it
No better time to watch this than at 4 AM
I’m watching now at nearly 5am
I’m on the east coast, it’s 6AM here. We just need someone from pacific time now.
I get up super early cause I have sleeping issues and Tuesday mornings are my favorite 😊
Flew out of Heathrow the morning after this happened. Having been through there many times, the entirety of the airport was unusually quiet and subdued. Everyone was either glued to any available TV or radio or had their head buried in the morning rags. In particular, I can remember one of the little bar/pub things and a small 2 person table with about a dozen people crammed around it listening to a radio that an employee had brought out because the place didn't have a TV.
I am truly shocked he got away with it. If this happened on a road he'd have been charged with DUI, fleeing the scene, manslaughter, and possibly driving without due care or wreckless driving.
Maritime law is not the same as laws that apply to driving
@@peterf.229 Obviously. If it were he would have been held responsible.
The most frustrating part of watching these videos is finding out most of the time the people responsible for these tragedies end up completely getting away with it.
Read the girlfriends Book very enlightening indeed i think it's called Dark Waters
Some other facts about this disaster, It was kind of a horror story with the investigation to identify the victims and inform the families as some of the victims of the disaster had their hands cut off.
The bowbelle was sold twice before herself sinking after breaking in two with the loss of just one crew member. One of the survivors dived to see the wreck the of the ship that nearly killed him.
I recall a lot of reporting in Private Eye about the bodies being mutilated with hand removal etc. must have made the loss even harder for the victims’ families
@@hoagy_ytfc I struggle to see why the hands were cut off >< thats a crime in itself as one of the victims was an artist and me being an artist myself, the hands are the tools and it was an insult to cut them off.
@@Robtheredengine I don't think anyone was purposefully cutting the hands off
@@EzratheRift they were purposefully cut off to make identification easier for the Corona. Absolute vile human who wouldn't even attend hearings or answer families questions.
Reports range from 21 to 25 victims who had their hands cut off and families were not allowed to see the bodies of their loved ones because of it.
No regard for human life at all
@@Robtheredengine lazy Corona, done for finger printing victims
What a terrifying way to leave this world!
One second you’re happily flirting with some cutie with a cocktail in hand,
the next second you’re rocked to the floor, lights go out, and the enclosed room you’re in quickly begins to fill with dark, cold water.
You have no time to react
No time to open a door or bust a window.
Once that water pressure seals those exits tight you are trapped and drinking the Thames til you’re not.
wow this channel is so freaking amazing. for real, channel creators and narrator oughtta write history books for schools. who agrees with me??
Thank you for featuring this disaster, I was the DJ I survived but lost my best friend. This disaster changed my life forever. 🏳🌈💙💛💙💛💙🏳🌈
Insufficient evidence despite being drunk on the job, and formally acquitted despite fleeing the scene and admitting to it by radio. Sounds like a much more polite version of how the victims of the Aberfan Disaster were treated. The British seem to have a disturbing and disgusting knack for being completely indifferent to the victims of disasters once the immediate danger passes. "Welcome to Great Britain, if you suffer a disaster here, we will save you from danger, but we will not prosecute the people who put you in danger, no matter how much evidence you have of their guilt, and put all the blame on you the victim instead. We will also treat you like a criminal for seeking help with getting back on your feet."
I can confirm that. It's because of the corruption everywhere here. People get their jobs because they are related to someone higher up, not because they are competent. They therefore know they can do what they want, they won't get fired or help accountable for their actions. And indeed, if a victim of these goof ups complains, it's the victim that gets treated like the criminal, and told they are "just confused and didn't understand the situation"! Yup, a daily occurrence here in the UK!
There's not much "Great" left in Britain these days, unfortunately.
I mean yeah, it's still like that today, people can't afford to warm their houses and feed their kids, the UN had to pop in and feed hungry children during the pandemic all while politicians eat for free, the list goes on. The British government does not, in any way, care about its population.
Fascinating indeed! I'm totally down for hearing more incidents or such from Britain that might not have made it over here across the pond. I'm glad those poor souls have been so remembered though.
It was a very big story in the UK for some time. By which I mean, British people were rightly aghast at this, not that you should have heard of it already. Hope that makes sense.
1989 must have been the year of the drunken captain. The Exxon Valdez was also in 1989!
There is a common theme in almost all of these stories that no one is ever held accountable. It's always "we'll know better next time," but the relatives of the dead never get justice. And many times, the owners, captains, or other stakeholders carry on as if nothing happened and continue their lives as usual. It's a travesty.
1989!? And it took over a DECADE for a dedicated boat rescue service to come to one of the busiest waterways on the planet!? The Hudson had one since the 1800s! Britain, you will forever confound me!
This was my biggest takeaway. A thousand years on the Thames and only then the RNLI (who do a magnificent job) were stationed there? Government negligence.
Bear in mind that the RNLI is a charity run by volunteers so they are on-call not permanent duty.. Also that the police have a dedicated department for patrolling the Thames that would have covered rescues up until then. In this case the RNLI would have arrived on the scene too late for most.
This is the same country that had a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (1824) decades before anyone got around to founding a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (1884). Priorities, man.
@@ZGryphon It was the RSPCA's work that made people aware of the way children were treated though. Part of the issue was an attitude that pervades, even today, that children belong to their parents and that you shouldn't interfere with how people bring up their children. People were campaigning on issues around children in the workplace before the NSPCC came along but I don't think there was a sense of treating children better than adults at that time so they had the same dangerous and appalling work conditions as everyone else.
@@ZGryphon animals are at mercy of their owners and random people. I still cannot understand why EVER someone wants to put animals against ch-ildr-ens as an argument. Sorry, do your part helping chil-dre-ns and let others to do what they want.
I'm surprised that he wasn't held accountable for leaving the scene. I realise the boat would take a while to stop and turn, but he doesn't seem to have made any effort to return. I remember being told about a similar incident which happened at Grangemouth Docks, with an oil tanker and a fishing boat being on the same course. Luckily disaster was averted, the oil tanker captain was disciplined internally, but the captain of the fishing boat was fined for swearing on the airwaves, as an oil tanker headed towards his tiny boat. So I guess breaking broadcasting rules was important but not almost causing a major accident. Here's hoping our maritime law has had an overhaul.
Not defending the captain but he probably would have had to get beyond Tower Bridge before he could turn. By then its possible the tide was too low. However that's only my speculation and I believe he should have been held accountable and imprisoned, he would have failed a drink drive test for starters.
Excellent video as always!
May I also give a recommendation for another video? The Transrapit collision in Lathen, Germany in 2006. A very tragic story, that didn't only kill many people, but also put an end to the whole Transrapid project in the country. It was also the first fatal maglev accident in history.
That party-themed animation on the like button is the most jarring thing when you put it on a video like this.
I've noticed with a lot of these stories, it's really obvious who is to blame, yet they are never held to account.
Just 30 seconds before the boat was completely under water. That is just terrifying. I generally think of boats sinking as happening quite slowly. Not in such a short period of time. I can’t imagine the terror everyone on the boat experienced during this ordeal.
Rest in peace to those 51 who perished.
Probably partly due to the size difference - the dredger was 30 times the weight of the Marchioness (and captained by a negligent idiot), so the smaller boat didn't really stand a chance.
One thing that stands out in all of these disasters is that they initially charge someone with negligence to appease the masses and then, later, drop the charges. No one is EVER held accountable for their indifference.
Nope. It's so awful.
Before watching, I'd just like to say this intro/outro has become the sound of my dreams.. peaceful, less painful sleep. Thank you so much for creating, researching, editing, music & all. Excellence in every way! 🌻
I was living in London at the time and remember this very well. A tragedy with the loss of so many innocent young lives. RIP.
That’s so weird I literally found out about this disaster last week and as soon as I read about it immediately thought how good you’d cover this!
Great video again. I hope the negligent captain (who displayed absolute callous disregard) never sailed again. What an absolute disgrace of a sailor.
Especially for him to not stay and try to get survivors out of the water. Fleeing the scene is reprehensible.
This was one of a long line of disasters or mass-murder to happen in Britain in the space of just 2½ years: Zeebrugge, Hungerford, The Great Storm, Enniskillen, Kings Cross, Piper Alpha, Clapham Junction, Lockerbie, Kegworth, Purley, Hillsborough, Marchioness.
I live in London and I remember this well. It was a tragic and needless loss of life.
The only good thing to come out of it was a complete overhaul of the regulations concerning trips on the Thames.
There were trips on restored WW2 Ducks which had a habit of catching fire. They were also reviewed but I don't think any of them involved the loss of life.
Yes and one sank in Liverpool docks iirc although again everyone thankfully escaped. Strange that the Brits can't seem to operate DUKWs safely as pleasure craft when they've been touring the harbour in Boston MA for decades without incident.
@@rich_edwards79 maybe it is due to brits not being able pronounce the th in sixth
Duck boat tours in the United States have a body count (including a particularly bad boat collision between one & a freight ship in my neck of the woods in Philly), so it's minorly lucky that no one was killed on any burning ones.
Another good thing was RNLI stations on the Thames. Until this happened there was none. Now there’s four stations.
I was stunned to hear that they didn't have lifeboat stations or emergency personnel on the Thames already.
Great video. I really appreciate the fact that you try to find something positive in the midst of these tragedies. I'm relieved to know that the Coast Guard can now help keep people safe on the Thames.
Your channel always lives up to it's name. If you're looking for video ideas try the e. coli outbreak that occurred in Walkerton, Canada in May 2000 due to water contamination. I find it to be a fascinating tale of negligence, and I'm always horrified by the idea that my drinking water might kill me.
I remember this, I was about the age of those partygoers and still feel for them and the absolute terror they must have felt. So sad that a lovely night out became a tragedy so quickly.
For all the awfulness you cover in your videos, I really appreciate that you always end on the positive changes that came from these horrific episodes. Thanks, man. It's strangely comforting in a way, knowing we can learn from our mistakes ✌🏻
My son and I were in London once, for 10 days and took a nighttime boat ride on the Thames. It was a really nice dinner with a small band and small dance floor. I remember watching another boat approach and thinking "What the hell?!" With such a small area and so many boats on the river, you'd think those driving the boats would ALL be paying attention. As it was, the 2 boats were going towards each other and literally made contact as I watched, stunned by the incompetence. They just skimmed each other, but I now see it could have been far worse. The Thames is heavily trafficked and considering that was the 1 and only time I've ever been on it, I'm thinking it's not the safest place to be.
Man I've always found the Thames to be very eerie and ominous. So much history.
Again, you’ve brought to light another tragic event that I’ve never heard of. Thank you for your videos. Really sad to have so many souls lost with no accountability.
Wikipedia says one of the inquest juries returned a verdict of unlawful killing, despite being directed not to by the coroner. That jury can consider themselves the only part of the legal system which distinguished itself in this case.
I really appreciate how your narrations are easy to understand, not only with the your narrative structure and great sound production, but also because you understand the value of succintness. I also love the photos and the fact that you follow up on the repercussions of the incidents.
Would it be in your Purview to coverr the Laconia sinking? A British troopship transporting italian PoW's(including women and children) was fired upon by US planes who mistook it for an enemy ship. It was a huge disaster that cost thousands of lives but isn't widely known outside certain circles. I only know about it because I lost 2 great uncles, a deckhand and a boilerman (the boilerman got trapped and his brother, who got off on a lifeboat, leapt back in the water to swim back on board to be with him)
I have been binge watching your videos over the last week. Well done. Informative and respectful all the way around.
I always appreciate how you'll talk about the good things that come from horrific events like this. Whether it was new laws that were made to protect others, new sanctions, or even just an awareness of an issue. 👍 I look forward to your videos every Tuesday!
It's always heartening to hear of bystanders coming to the rescue. Bittersweet, but heartening.
My 1980s was rammed with disasters, Heysel, Zeeburgge, Hillsborough, Bradford, Rail crashes etc
This was the decade that also gave us the Byford Dolphin accident.
I remember this horrible tragedy on the news and on the front pages of all the papers. The Marchioness looked like such a small, fragile boat. It stood no chance when hit by the Bowbelle.
Sickening to think that, in open sea, that captain is legally obligated to assist people in the water, and failing to do so would bring charges.
I love the music. Glass pond is always a great addition to the end of a video. Gives a feeling of uncanniness
I can’t believe the captain of the Bowbelle got away Scott free after admitting to hitting a “pleasure cruiser” then continuing on his way without helping the vessel he hit!! What a disgrace! I’m happy that some good came out of the tragedy with the permanent placement of life boats and crew along the Thames.
Great as always. Consistently getting better and better, love seeing this channel grow.
Your intro music always fills me with joy-dread
yay new vid
-10-20 minutes later
what the hell? that was entirely preventable.
What the heΙΙ? I don't know much about naval law but I know that if you kill someone (let alone 51) while drunk driving and then flee the scene, you're fucked. Why isn't Henderson rotting in prison?
This was interesting, enjoy listening to you tell stories. You're one of my favorites on UA-cam, always look forward to your videos ❤️
@ghost mall I wasn't trying to be callus, yes the loss of life was sad.
@ghost mall no big deal, it's just how you felt.
I love this channel for it's content, and your wonderful, calm but slightly creepy narration. The intro music has the same calm and creepy feel. This is great for 3am, lights out viewing. As for this episode....it proves you can still get away with murder. The Captain of the dredger, in my own opinion, was guilty, if not for murder, then at a minimum, Manslaughter. Being drunk and "Fleeing the scene", definitely added to the loss of life. The Captain's flippant attitude directly after the accident as he "fled the scene" was ghastly. Great video....Great research! Keep em' coming!!!
I did some work for the company that owned the Marchioness. They told me that After it was salvaged, they took it away and had it destroyed because morbid collectors were trying to pinch parts off it as trophies.
The marchioness was towed to pipers wharf at greenwich and after inspections carried out by the maib it was scrapped in the drydock. The name boards were removed and kept by the company. The wheel is with the captains son
Every Tuesday i’m so excited cause i know there’ll be a new video of yours. Been here for over a year now. Keep going, u truly bring comfort to many
Did you get a new microphone?? The sound quality seems a bit better here
THANK YOU for doing this one!
I was on the sister ship the Hurlingham that night, lots were rescued by the party goers on that boat infact I would describe many of them as heroes, always felt there's a whole chunk of evidence/eyewitness accounts missing here, I don't think many were interviewed at the time or after.
This one I remember, it came two nights after my 22nd birthday. But I'm amazed by the the long forgotten cases you feature, a real wealth of information, thank you.
Henderson shouldve plead guilty himself. It was his fault, he should have held himself accountable, and in lieu of that, should have been quartered by an angry mob of survivors and families of the deceased.
If I had a loved one or family or friend that died I would find out where he lived and brain the mother fucker.
Still one of the best UA-cam channel. Thanks!
I'm shocked that the Thames had no coast guard until after this! I walk along it all the time and it's always super busy in and along the coast, that fact it took this tragedy to change that and within living memory is just wild to me.
Same here. Considering the amount of traffic it seems to have. (I'm from the US and have only actually seen it once.)
Another interesting, well done presentation! I also have to hear every last odd note of your music. Runcible and Mezmerizing
We're all aware of varying dangers with water, but I can't imagine how near-instantaneous like this would feel. One moment you're hanging out with friends, probably quite drunk, and THIRTY SECONDS later you're trapped in a drowning cage. RIP
The narrator's voice in these videos is so soothing to listen to.
Bowbelle's drunk captain's fleeing the scene aside, isn't it the smaller vessel's duty to give way to larger vessels? Was hoping to hear more about responsibility.
Read the MAIB report by searching "MAIB report Marchioness" it should answer your questions about the incident but does not apportion blame which is the duty of the courts working within the limitations of the legal system.
You waited until I was awake to post this! I thank you 🙏🏻
I remember this tragedy when it happened. My early thoughts were how lucky that 80 people survived. I could have been so much worse and I didn't recall the crewman getting back on board and opening a door to help some escape. Should have named one of the lifeboats after him as well.
May I say this is the finest narrator in all of UA-cam.
Shoutout to the Hurlingham and the Royal Princess.
Hero Ships
WOW! . I had never heard of this. Very tragic. ... Thank you for posting.
How Captain Henderson was not sentenced to Life in Prison for 51 counts of Homicide, is baffling. (To put it mildly.) Once again, the British criminal court system lives up to its reputation of being a worthless joke of one that the rest of the world rightfully looks at with disgust and distain.
You haven’t seen the U.S. court system?
Well it wouldn't be homicide as it wasn't intentional. But he should have been charged with manslaughter.
Except none of those were a homicide 😑
@@sophierobinson2738
If anything, the U.S. system is accused of sometimes being too harsh. The British one often treats violent, repeat offenders as if they are naughty children who have gotten up to a bit mischief. Nanny State in all ways. Huge difference between a child playing with a cricket bat in the house and accidentally bashing a vase, compared to a grown man intentionally bashing someone's skull. But not to the British criminal court system. A light slap on the wrist, and on your way. Don't do that again.
Presentation is as always spot on ... TY *Fascinating Horror*
Second!
Your voice is sounding extra clear and robust today.
Your documentaries are always well researched and I have enjoyed watching them. This one has touched me deeply, I just cannot believe the sheer arrogance of the Bowbelle's captain, what an utterly reprehensible person. Thanks for your tasteful way of presenting the horrors of our world.
Just wanted to say that it sounds like the audio has a notable improvement in this video 💜
A few years ago I was called to serve on a jury where the charge on the case was also "failing to keep a proper lookout". It was incredibly difficult to come to a decision, given the available evidence, as I'm sure it was here. However had the charge been "failing to give assistance following a known collision", the outcome would have been very different.
Your Voice sounds so crisp, did you get a new Microphone?
So pleasant to listen to, even with such tragedy...
Maybe he has a cold? LOL :)
@@maxh771 That's the first thing I thought when I heard him!
The Ibrox Stadium Disaster would be a good one to hear you do too. I love this channel❤️