SS Virginia

On December 23, 1952, the SS Virgina was another victim of the Atherfield Ledge after ploughing headlong over the ridges in dense fog until the impact tore apart several of the plates of the hold. The iron ore on board the 2,050 tonne riverboat rested heavy in the holds, making evacuation difficult.

At first, Captain Galatis thought the ship was in decent shape, so he signalled for tugs to come and pull him off. Blackgang lifesaving personnel on land prepared rockets system in case they needed to fire rescue ropes 600 feet out to the steamer as the weather deteriorated. Between the hours of 3 and 4:30 in the morning, the holds began to severely leak, the engine room flooded, and the radio stopped working.

The Yarmouth lifeboat team eventually came and took two people off the boat. Those who remained on the ship endured deteriorating weather that led to the vessel being severely damaged by waves and rocks. By 2 o’clock, the whole crew had decided to abandon ship, so rescuers used LSA rockets and a breeches buoy to get everyone safely to land.

The ship was evntually able to be unloaded and refloated as the weather improved, and was then towed to Southampton for repair.

• http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/172158.htm

• http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/172158.htm