Firefighters have helped 69 passengers to safety after a ferry ran aground in Eastham.

Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service was contacted at 13.24pm on Sunday, July 10 after the Mersey Ferry Royal Iris ran aground in Eastham ‪#‎Wirral‬

Two fire engines, the Search and Rescue Team and the Marine Fire One Rescue Team attended the scene.
The Royal Iris ferry was carrying 69 passengers and five crew members when it ran aground in Eastham.

The grounding of the vessel caused a hole to form in the hull and the ship to take on water.
A dredger, Deo Gloria, assisted in pumping out water from the ferry and took the ferry passengers on board.
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service helped move both vessels in to the QE2 Dock at Eastham.


The dock gates were closed and passengers were helped to disembark from the dredger on to the quayside.
Firefighters assisted in pumping out the water from the ferry while awaiting the arrival of two further tugs.
The Port of Liverpool Police, HM Coastguard, RNLI and North West Ambulance Service also attended the incident.

There were no reported injuries.

SCARY STUFF, thought the royal iris was out of service ..

.....well, it is now.

More info/ updates here

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/passengers-evacuated-after-mersey-ferry-11594336

Well thats a trip the sightseers onboard wont forget in a hurry . Good that everyone was safe.

Ran aground----wasnt going to sink then. Bit of excitement and all safe.

Hahahaha
Nice one rude

THE 1960'S Royal Iris IS out of service, tied up rotting at the Thames Barrier! Bring her back!

This will clear this up here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Royal_Iris

"Not to be confused with MV Royal Iris of the Mersey"

Might be worth keeping an eye out at Laird's dry dock to see if it comes in for inspection. Great views from the priory tower.

How on earth has it 'run aground' ? Someone must have taken their eye off the ball !

Maybe it tried to enter the ship canal at the wrong angle---like when you turn into your driveway and clip the verge. Read they were blaming the dredger for shifting the sandbank. There again it may just have been a Italian woman driver!!
All good news stuff.. "Passengers Saved From Sinking Ferry" was the best I saw.

There's apparently a bank of shale if you don't keep exactly in the channel.
She has probably run onto this & sprung one of the remaining riveted bottom plates.
I would imagine that they will have had a diver down to inspect the hull before carrying out a temporary repair & will then move her into Lairds.

Bob.

The ship is actually at the former McTay yard (now Carmet) at Bromborough. I presume that she is sitting on the bank at low tide for the repair to be carried out.

Bob.

Thanks Bob.

Oh well, refunds all around on the Manchester trips ! If there were only something like 70 passengers last Sunday, that is a pretty bad turnout.(unless I've read it incorrectly) Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, it was hard to find a seat to sit on when going on those trips. Maybe the Mancunians are not as keen.