Passengers stuck on Torpoint Ferry as it breaks down in River Tamar
48 passengers were on board at the time
Last updated 27th Jan 2021
One of the Torpoint Ferries has broken down whilst travelling across the River Tamar, leaving 48 passengers stranded.
The ferry operator, Tamar Crossings, says the Lynher ferry became stuck in the middle of the river at around 3pm this afternoon (27 January) after losing power due to an electrical fault while crossing between Devonport and Torpoint.
On a post on its Facebook site, one passenger said they had been stuck on board the vessel for two and a half hours.
On social media, bosses said it was transporting maintenance staff to the ferry via boat to investigate the fault.
A tug rescued the ferry and brought it back to Torpoint.
Bosses have said that all passengers and vehicles have disembarked and have apologised for any inconvenience caused.
"At 2.40 pm this afternoon, an electrical fault on the Lynher led to the ferry losing power in the middle of the river while crossing between Devonport and Torpoint.
"Despite the best efforts of the on-board crew it was not possible to re-start the engine.
"At 3.30pm a police launch transported members of the maintenance team to the ferry to work on repairing the fault. Unfortunately, they were unable to immediately identify the fault and at 4pm a request was made for a tug to bring the ferry to the Torpoint side of the river so the 48 passengers ( 42 in vehicles and 6 foot passengers) could disembark.
"The ferry, accompanied by the tug, arrived at the landing point at 5pm.
"Further investigations are now being carried out on the ferry so that repairs can be carried out as quickly as possible.
"We are very sorry for the inconvenience this has caused to passengers who were on the ferry and those who have been delayed by the reduction in service."
Spokesperson, Tamar Crossings