Apostleship of the Sea Chaplain supports crew after man lost overboard from sea ferry.
An incident on 2nd December 2008 highlighted just how dangerous a life at sea can be, and how vital the role of the Apostleship of the Sea, a maritime welfare charity for seafarers, is. Just before 0600 GMT as the ferry approached the Norfolk coast, an alarm was raised for a man overboard by the crew on the passenger ferry ‘The Pride of Rotterdam’, which was on its way from the Dutch city to The Humber. While lifeboats and search and rescue helicopters were searching the sea off Norfolk for the man, believed to be a ferry crew member, Apostleship of the Sea Chaplain, Anne McLaren, was present onboard to provide welfare to the traumatised crew. Sadly, the search eventually had to be called off and, as of yet, no body has been recovered. Fr Colum Kelly, an ordained chaplain for Apostleship of the Sea in Immingham, was on standby to help the stricken crew.
The loss of a team member and the aftermath of official investigations is devastating for the crew, and often there is no closure as the cause can never be identified. In times like this, the support of the crew is one of the vital roles that Apostleship of the Sea chaplains perform. They are there to lend practical and comforting help, offer a friendly ear or just ‘be there’ in support. Anne McLaren is a regular visitor to The Pride of Rotterdam as part of her regular ship visiting duties and the crew are comfortable with her. Apostleship of the Sea is unique in the Humber as they are the only maritime welfare organisation actively ship visiting in this region. Seafarers do not always have time to visit the ecumenical Seafarers’ Centre so Anne makes time to go out to them, assess their needs, and do everything she can to provide practical and pastoral care to all seafarers in need.
Apostleship of the Sea is a maritime welfare charity, providing vital practical and pastoral support to seafarers. The work of Apostleship of the Sea is funded wholly by voluntary contributions. For more information about Apostleship of the Sea, call 07712864747.