Cruise ship passenger feared she would die during horror storm that injured 100 people

Around 100 people suffered injuries when the Saga Cruises ship Spirit of Discovery was hit by bad weather conditions in the Bay of Biscay last weekend.

Most of the injuries were described as minor by cruise company Saga, but five people were taken to hospital when the ship docked in Portsmouth on Monday.

Carol Lake, from Stafford, was one of about 1,000 passengers who departed for a 14-day cruise around the Canary Islands on October 24, but the final stop in Las Palmas was dropped when a storm was forecast.

A course was plotted to the port in A Coruna, in northwest Spain, but adverse weather forced it to close – with crew deciding to head back to the UK early.

It was in the Bay of Biscay, known for rough seas, that the injuries occurred.

The ship veered to one side as the propulsion safety system was activated after the vessel found itself in poor weather.

Miss Lake had been in the ship's dining room at the time.

The 63-year-old said: "I looked at my glass of wine and it started to move so I put my hand out to stop it.

"Then my table crashed into the next one.

"Everyone said there was screaming but I just heard silence, looking at all the debris on the floor. It might have been because I was in shock."

Miss Lake hit the back of her head on a wall and also suffered bruising to other areas of her body.

She said although the staff were in tears themselves, they still came to the aid of the passengers and she was taken back to her cabin.

Passengers were told to stay in their cabins for the rest of Saturday and Sunday and part of the dining room was converted into a makeshift medical area.

"You couldn't open the window but looking out, it looked like a horror movie. It was horrendous. There were ferocious winds and huge waves.

"I thought this is it, this is the end, I'm going to die."

Miss Lake said she watched Strictly Come Dancing to help put her at ease and distract her from the boat tossing and turning.

She said by Monday morning the storm had calmed and people came out of their cabins.

The ship travelled back to Portmouth and passengers disembarked on Tuesday.

"I have bruises but some of the others were quite severely injured, there were broken bones," said Miss Lake, who is a radio presenter for Stafford FM on Sunday evening show The Night Queens.

"A lot of people said they were going to get off and kiss the concrete. "I just wanted to go home and get to the cattery to get my cat Reggie. He's disabled as he has brain damage, he means everything to me. I was worried if I died no one would love him like I do.

"When I got home I had a bottle of Champagne to celebrate."

She said she had been on Saga cruises several times in the past, travelling around Britain and Europe, as well as to Iceland and Greenland, and this experience would not put her off travelling with them again, describing the staff and service as "faultless".

Saga Cruises said the ship had remained safe at all times, but due to the impact of the storm some guests sustained injuries.

The shipping company said they were all treated immediately by on-board medical staff and while the weather was beyond its control, it apologised to all those affected.