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| Washed Ashore |
 Locals walked their dogs in its shadows and played soccer with it as a backdrop last Friday. Others simply started at the ferry Riverdance in wonder as it rested serenely at a 50 degree angle on the beach. A freak wave had stopped its journey, tossing it like a toy onto the sand.
The day before, three helicopters hovered over the Irish Sea in an attempt to rescue passengers from the Riverdance. On her crossing from Northern Ireland to Lancashire, England, the 377 foot long ship's 55 vehicle capacity cargo shifted during a high tide and some of the "roughest winds of the decade."
High waves, dense foam, and powerful winds warned of death to the eyes of the men on board. The winds the evening of the stranding were described as a "force nine to 10" on the Beaufort scale, which measures wind velocity in nautical conditions. Many of the crew made calls to say their final good-byes, one sent a text message to his wife to inform her of his impending death.
Although all 23 passengers were successfully rescued, nine of the 19 crew members remained on board attempting to keep the ferry afloat. Once it foundered, they too were lifted to safety with only "very minor injuries."
The damage may not be as forgiving to Lancashire. The ferry is currently under the supervision of the Coast Guard, who fear the 150 tons of fuel on board may pose a threat to the surrounding environment. Curious residents risk fine or arrest in the designated 400 meter exclusion zone. Debris including wood, scrap metal, and chocolate biscuits have fallen from the Riverdance, which six days later remains at a 50 degree list on the sands of Lancashire.
"The plan is to stabilize the vessel and create a safer working environment," Tony Redding, spokesman for Seatruck Ferries, told the Daily Mail. "It has a round a 50 degree list and we will be trying to do something about that. More equipment to help is expected to leave Rotterdam today."
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