The sinking of '' Princess Victoria '' occurred during a severe European windstorm which also caused the North Sea Flood of 1953 , claiming 531 fatalities in the UK alone , although this was the worst single incident in that storm . There were 133 deaths , including the Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Ireland , Maynard Sinclair and the MP for North Down , Sir Walter Smiles . There were no women or children among the survivors . Eyewitnesses reported seeing a lifeboat containing at least some of the women and children being smashed against the side of the '' Princess Victoria '' by the huge waves . The disaster shocked many people because , although it took place in extreme weather conditions , it involved a routine journey , on a relatively short crossing ( 20 miles ) in what were believed to be safe waters
North Sea Flood of 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
MV Princess Victoria