Red Funnel ferry captain and first mate suspended after accident on the Isle of Wight

HM Coastguard and the RNLI both received calls following the accident off the coast of Cowes at about 8am on Sunday, although none of the 40 passengers on board the service from Southampton sustained any injuries.

The vessel – named Red Falcon – also remained watertight, and it was pulled back to its usual berth by a tug boat.

In a later tweet, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency assured that all involved in the incident were safe – and the operator said it would contact customers affected.

Speaking after passengers and vehicles were discharged at East Cowes, CEO Fran Collins said: “This ship will now be subject to a detailed inspection and is not expected to return to service today.

“A revised vehicle ferry timetable will operate between Southampton and East Cowes. Our staff are contacting customers booked to travel today to offer them alternative sailings.

“On behalf of Red Funnel, I would like to apologise to all passengers who have been disrupted by this incident, and emphasise that we give the safety of our passengers and crew the highest priority.”

Red Funnel said it had suspended the two employees as part of its “standard procedure” – and that an investigation into how and why the accident happened was also underway.

The company said it would not commenting further while the inquiry by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch was ongoing.