Celtic Pride’ deaths: an avoidable tragedy or 'chance in a million'?

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It is not unusual to hear tragic reports of people dying while on or travelling to and from holiday during the month of August. However this year few deaths can seem as pointless as those of 15 year old Ca­therine Tomlins and her 12year‑old brother James who were killed by sewage fumes while returning home to Ireland by ferry

  The children were found deed in their cabin, C106, by their parents; Garry and Maeve Tomlins as the ferry, 7000gt, Polish owned Celtic Pride neared the Cork coast early in the morning of 12 August. The vessel was almost two hours late after a rough crossing.

The children's parents were in a nearby cabin on the same deck. A third child. four year‑old John Patrick. escaped death when he moved out of the cabin to be with his parents.

Commenting on the accident a spokesman for Swansea Cork Ferries described the tragedy as ‘a chance in a million’

Foul smells

Immediately after the accident reports began circulating that passengers who had travelled on the ferry up to 10 months ago had complained to the operators of foul smells

Some are reported to have complained that deodorants and perfumes were being used to disguise the unpleasant fumes in cabin bathrooms.

A spokesman for the company said that all complaints were always fully investigated.

Minister for the Irish Department of the Marine Dr Michael Woods ordered the vessel to he detained and it missed that night’s sailing to Swansea. The ship also missed it’s next sailing while remedial repairs were carried out,

When it finally sailed the Department of the Marine's surveyor sailed with the vessel.

                After it docked in Swansea he consulted with the UK's Depart ' merit of Transport and the Polish Marine Authorities who are responsible for the ship. A work programme was agreed between the authorities and work commenced while the ferry went back into service with a I the forward cabins on C deck closed.

Sewage System

Celtic Pride was built in 1972 and is owned by the Polish state-run Baltic Steamship company who has chartered the vessel on long-tem basis to Swansea-Cork Ferries.

The children’s' deaths are thought to have occurred when sewage fumes entered the cabin via  the toilet.

Unlike many more modem ferries the Celtic Pride is fitted with a gravity waste disposal system. Under these conditions, when a toilet is flushed the waste falls down a vertical pipe into a sealed holding unit.

In a process referred to as extended aeration compressed air is forced through this tank to help break down the waste. Air is introduced to help prevent the formation of hydrogen sulphide which is potentially lethal in that it has a paralysing effect on respiration.

When the tank fills up the overflow drains into a second tank where chlorine is added to kill bacteria

The main tank is normally vented, normally up to the top of the

funnel. However this can easily become blocked by corroded materials, grease dead seabirds or refuse. If this happens gases will build up in the main tank and be forced

back up the system.

In theory the water in the U-bends of the toilet should provide a natural seal  against foul air re‑entering any cabin or living space. However in the case of Celtic Pride rough weather is  thought to have tilted the ship causing the water to he sucked out of the toilet leaving it without an effective seal.

Foul air was then free to) enter the cabin. If air vents in the cabin had been shut this would have allowed the gases to build up quickly.

Repair work

Celtic Pride was taken out of service for two days while work was carried out on modifications to the sewage system.

NOVEMBER 1992