On the morning of 28 March Condor Ferries’ 86m Incat catamaran Condor Vitesse collided with the French fishing vessel Les Marquises, in foggy conditions north-west of Chausey, in French waters. The ferry was on a crossing between St Malo and Jersey, and the collision took place around 45 minutes into the ferry’s journey.
On board the fishing vessel were three French nationals, one of whom later died from his injuries despite being taken to hospital in Jersey by the St Helier RNLI lifeboat. The other two fishermen were taken on board the ferry, with another fishing boat, Joker, assisting. The fishing vessel had effectively been cut in two when the collision occurred, with visibility down to around 30m due to fog.