Passengers and crewmembers Thursday night were airlifted amid 60 mile-per-hour winds from a roll-on/roll-off ferry, Riverdance, that is grounded four miles off the Blackpool coast in the Irish Sea.
The Liverpool Coastguard received a Mayday from the Riverdance reporting that the vessel had developed a 60-degree list after cargo shifted on board.
Helicopters from the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Irish Coastguard battled Force 10 winds to rescue four passengers and 19 crewmembers after attempts to refloat the vessel under its own power were abandoned due to the severe conditions.
The 6,000 gross tonnage Riverdance was transporting 50 trucks and trailers from Warrenpoint in Northern Ireland to Heysham in Lancashire, England. The ship is carrying 100 tons of bunker fuel and 50 tons of gas oil, but authorities said there is no reported pollution.
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