The car that fell from the hold of a Fred Olsen ferry into the sea on March 30th, en route from San Sebastián de La Gomera to Tenerife, has been retrieved from the water. The unexpected incident particularly astonished its owner, who witnessed the event and promptly alerted the crew after realising it was his vehicle.
Matías, the vehicle owner, faced a series of unfortunate events in 2021 when the eruption of the La Palma volcano left his house engulfed in lava. In an interview with Cope Canarias, he mentioned that he usually travels Gold Class when taking a ferry, because it means his car will be parked near the exit ramp and he will be one of the first off.
Matías also said that he diligently followed all Fred.Olsen’s safety instructions as he parked his 4x4 with the front wheels turned to the right and the handbrake on. However, as the ferry left the port it encountered strong waves, which led to the unexpected incident. Upon seeing that a car had fallen off the ferry and was floating in the water, Matías looked out and realised it was his.
"I was in shock”, he said, “At first, I couldn't remember if I had left my dogs in La Palma or if they were in the car!" Fortunately, the dogs weren’t with him, they were safely at home. However, Matías said that if they had been in the car, he would have jumped into the sea to rescue them.
Matías attributed the accident primarily to the sea conditions but also acknowledged the possibility of human error. Despite the incident, he downplayed its severity, describing it as an "unforeseen situation," and did not mention any intention to pursue legal action against Fred.Olsen.
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