Condor Vitesse involved in an incident off Jersey

28/3/2011

Passenger ferry Condor Vitesse was involved in a collision with a fishing boat in the vicinity of the Minquiers near Jersey en route to St Malo at 7.45am this morning.

There were three fishermen on the fishing vessel. The fishing boat was seriously damaged in the incident. Two fishermen were soon recovered from the water by the Condor Vitesse crew who assisted in the search and rescue. A third fisherman was recovered later and was in need of medical assistance – he is currently on his way to hospital.

No passengers or crew on the Condor Vitesse were hurt in the incident – all are safe and accounted for. Condor Vitesse is now en route back to St Helier in Jersey and expected to arrive at 11.30am this morning. Although the Condor Vitesse sustained some damage to the starboard bow compartment, it is making its way back to port under its own power and without assistance.

Simon Edsall, Managing Director Condor Ferries, said: “I can confirm that all passengers are accounted for and uninjured. The crew acted fast to rescue two of the fishermen and cooperated with a further fishing boat to recover the third. Our thoughts are with the injured fisherman and we will continue to work in close cooperation with all authorities involved in this incident.”

Any member of the public who would like further information should call the Condor Ferries customer services line 0845 6091024 in the UK or +33 (0) 2 99 40 78 10 in France.

About Condor Ferries
Condor Ferries was founded in 1964 and initially operated a passenger service between France and the Channel Islands. In 1987 the first service linking the Channel Islands with the UK was launched and since then Condor Ferries has operated a year-round service connecting the UK through Poole, Weymouth and Portsmouth, the Channel Islands through Guernsey and Jersey and the ports of St Malo and Cherbourg in France.

Condor Ferries operates Condor Vitesse, Condor Express, and Condor Rapide fast cat ferries. In 1999 Commodore Clipper, a conventional car, passenger and freight carrying vessel was introduced to the fleet to offer an all weather, year round service. Each year Condor Ferries carries more than 1 million passengers and 200,000 passenger vehicles. Condor Ferries also operates Commodore Goodwill, as a freight only vessel. The Condor Ferries fleet carries 100,000 freight vehicles into the Channel Islands each year as well as exporting tonnes of local produce.

Condor Ferries is also an active member of the communities within which it operates and supports numerous organisations, sports and charities through sponsorship and travel. More information about Condor Ferries and its services is available at www.condorferries.com.

Condor Ferries press release