"Pan pan, pan pan, pan pan . . . Dublin Coastguard, Dublin Coastguard, Dublin Coastguard . . . We have an incident on board, with injuries to five passengers . . ."
The words were those of Capt Calum Morrison, master of the Norse merchant ferry Dawn Merchant, at 11.20 a.m. yesterday, after his vessel had begun taking on water and was listing to starboard about half a mile east of Dun Laoghaire pier.
In bright sunshine, light airs and a steady sea, conditions could not be better for a ship in distress, and the 45 "passengers" and five victims, who had embarked at Dublin Port before 11 a.m., were in cheerful mood.
However, the next 70 minutes was to be no laughing matter for the ship's 37 crew, members of the Irish Coast Guard and the main State rescue agencies, who were testing the Dublin Metropolitan Major Emergency Plan.
In the main lounge, several of the RNLI volunteers were being "made up". Others were given various tags designating the less serious "walking wounded". Shortly before 11 a.m., and well clear of the Poolbeg lighthouse, the ship put out a radio call to report that there was a problem with one of the ballast tanks.
The Commissioners of Irish Lights' tender Granuaile was in the area and copied the call. As the Dawn Merchant anchored off Scotsman's Bay, Capt Dermot Gray told Dublin Radio that he was one mile from the casualty and ready to give assistance.
By now the ship was "listing to starboard" and the captain had ascertained that one of the casualties below was unconscious and others had broken ribs and burns. A Mayday was transmitted and the general alarm was sounded to muster all passengers. It was reported on the airwaves that the Dun Laoghaire lifeboat had launched and Howth's would be on its way.
The ship's officers were being observed by representatives of the British Coastguard, Isle of Man Coastguard and Irish Coast Guard officer Eugene Clonan.
Second officer Michal Ostromecki, from Poland, behaved like a man who had been in this situation before. He counted all on the bridge and took complete command outside on deck as the Dublin Coast Guard's Sikorsky helicopter approached. It was only minutes before the first of the "casualties" was winched off.
On berthing at Dun Laoghaire marina, ambulance crew conducted their triage of casualties, steering them into an emergency tent, and gardai from Dun Laoghaire recorded names.
This is a key stage in the operation, Capt Liam Kirwan, director of the Irish Coast Guard, told The Irish Times afterwards. "We have to be able to resolve the numbers, matching up those on board with those brought ashore." Thanks to the Granuaile and Dublin Radio, six names unaccounted for were traced immediately after the event.