Investigators probe Cabin Fever sinking

Investigations were today under way into how a ship sailing around Ireland in a television reality show sank off the coast of Co Donegal.

The programme’s nine contestants and two skippers were rescued when the Cabin Fever I hit rocks near Tory Island yesterday afternoon.

Producers said an alternative boat had been found and the series would continue as scheduled.

Inspectors from the Marine Surveyor’s Office were beginning investigations at the scene this morning.

Cabin Fever had been on air for less than a week when the tall ship ran aground.

When difficulties began at about 1.30pm yesterday crew members sent out a distress call, before removing seven passengers.

A lifeboat tried to pull the ship off the rocks and a portable pump was dropped on to it from a helicopter.

It was hoped that a high tide may help the captain to refloat the boat, but it soon became apparent that the ship was badly damaged and the remaining passengers were taken off by helicopter.

One swam from the wreckage to Tory Island.

By early evening producers confirmed that the 27-metre long vessel had sunk, and announced that they had found another ship to continue the series.

They did not know whether a live programme would still go out from Sligo on Monday but said tomorrow’s episode would still be broadcast.

Cabin Fever is produced by Coco Productions for RTE and involves 10 contestants competing for a €100,000 prize.

The ship was due to sail to a number of coastal locations during the eight-week show, including Bangor, Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cobh and Dublin.

Each week the public votes for their favourite contestant and the person with the least votes is evicted.

The show first went to air last Sunday after a few days at sea.

Stuart Switzer of Coco Productions said he had no idea how the accident happened.

He said: “The positive news of this awful story is that all of our contestants are safe. At the end of the day the boat is only wood and metal.

“It is very sad, it does bring a tear to your eye, but our contestants are safe. The programme will go to air and Cabin Fever will continue.”

In a statement RTE said it greatly regretted the grounding of Cabin Fever I.

Clare Duignan, director of programmes, said: “We are greatly relieved that, most importantly, all the cast and crew are safe and sound.

“Any programming considerations are absolutely secondary to that.”