Lifeboats from three coastal towns were called to action on Friday evening, following reports of a fire on board the ferry, the Isle of Innisfree. The vessel, owned by Irish Ferries, was en route from Dover to Calais with 162 people on board at the time.
Lifeboats from Ramsgate, Dungeness, and Dover were all deployed in response to the emergency. According to a statement from Irish Ferries, the crew had been well-prepared for such an event, having undergone regular training for dealing with incidents at sea. The training paid off, and the fire was quickly extinguished.
Despite the successful handling of the situation, Irish Ferries apologised to passengers for the disruption caused to their journey. Those booked on the 19:25 Calais-Dover sailing were transferred to alternative sailings.
The Isle of Innisfree, which had 89 crew members and 94 passengers on board, is now anchored in the Channel, with an investigation into the cause of the fire likely to be launched in the coming days.
