An investigation has found that an 85-year-old British cruise passenger who sustained a spinal injury during a severe storm on board a Saga Cruises vessel received 'suboptimal treatment'. Trevor Gilks died four days after the incident on the Spirit of Discovery, which encountered force 11 winds in the Bay of Biscay on 4 November 2023.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report revealed that Mr Gilks was injured when a high-backed armchair he was sitting in toppled backwards as the ship rolled violently. The main impact was on his neck. Crew helped him back into the chair and then to his cabin, before moving him in a wheelchair to the medical centre.
X-rays were taken of his neck and emailed to a shore-based radiologist, but no side-on view was provided, meaning the radiologist could not determine if the cervical spine was damaged. No further X-rays were taken. Mr Gilks was placed on a bed rather than a spinal board.
After his condition deteriorated, a doctor expressed concern he would become paralysed and needed evacuation. However, the captain decided against a helicopter transfer due to high seas, opting for him to remain on board until the ship arrived in Portsmouth. Mr Gilks was taken to hospital but died on 8 November from a complete cervical spine injury.
The MAIB said the delay in identifying the severe spinal injury led to suboptimal treatment that may have affected the severity of his injury. The report also found that the captain's decision to cross the Bay of Biscay in very high waves was not effectively challenged by crew or shore teams, despite weather advice against the crossing.
Chief inspector Rob Loder urged the cruise industry to learn lessons from the accident. Saga Cruises expressed condolences but disagreed with some of the MAIB's conclusions, stating they have enhanced their policies and procedures.
