Isha Sesay
THE ferry that crashed into a small islet off the coast of Ibiza has finally been returned to the island’s port.
The FRS owned San Gwann fast ferry was en route to Formentera on Saturday evening when it ran aground on the islet of Es Malvins with 35 passengers and 12 crew members onboard.
Emergency services reported that the incident had resulted in 25 people incurring injuries, including a 10-year-old boy who was airlifted by helicopter to Son Espases hospital in Mallorca.
The child remains in intensive care where his condition has been described as serious.
A 41-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman also remain admitted to Ibiza’s Can Misses hospital for multiple injuries.
Towed by the impressive Bar Mesana maritime rescue vessel, the ferry now sits at the end of the port while the Balearic Port Authority (APB) carries out its investigation.
Spain’s coastguard had quickly launched a rescue operation, airlifting nine people in need of medical attention to hospital with the remaining being evacuated by boat.
The San Gwann takes approximately 30 minutes to make the trip between Ibiza and Formentera with FRS announcing that the line would be temporarily suspended as a result of the accident.
Balearic president Francina Armengol also confirmed that everyone onboard had been evacuated in a message on Twitter and later thanked emergency teams for their ‘quick and coordinated response’.
While the ferry was stranded on the islet, almost 15 tons of diesel was extracted from the vessel with FRS confirming that there had been no oil leaks into the sea.
On Monday, a meeting to review the accident was attended by both members of the regional government, Ibiza’s Consell, the APB and FRS.
Here, the CEO of the German shipping company, Ronny Moriana, said that this was the first accident to happen in its 150-year history and that the captain of the ship was ‘very experienced’, working for FRS for over 10 years.
This is the second major incident to occur in the Ibiza waters in a matter of weeks.
Another person on the eight-metre dinghy was rescued and taken to hospital with minor injuries and shock.
Initially, it was thought that the man had been decapitated – a detail later discredited by the Guardia Civil.
Although the investigation into this incident is still ongoing, it is understood that the dinghy was traveling without its lights on.
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