The London Fire Brigade responded to the deadly sinking of the party boat Marchioness on the Thames that killed 51 people on Aug. 20, 1989.
The vessel collided with the 260-foot gravel dredger Bowbelle after departing Charing Cross pier at 1:25 a.m. for a birthday party for banker Antonio de Vasconcellos, 26.
Marchioness passed its sister ship, Hurlingham, as the vessels approached Southwark Bridge, according to The Independent newspaper.
At 1:46 a.m., the Hurlingham witnessed the collision and issued a distress call: "Wapping Police, Wapping Police, emergency. Pleasure boat is sunk, Cannon Street Railway Bridge, all emergency aid please."
However, the Woolwich marine radio station, which received the distress call, misheard the location as Battersea Bridge -- in the opposite direction.
It wasn't until 20 minutes after the collision that the fire brigade received the correct location.
At 2:16 a.m., Station Officer Gleeson of the Southwark fire station radioed: "Machioness sunk, believed downstream of Blackfrairs Bridge with unknown number of people in river and Met Police searching river between Blackfriars and Waterloo Bridges.''
The Independent said:
"No one was found alive after the first 30 minutes. Only one body was recovered that night by the fire brigade. No others were found until the following day when the wreck was raised east of Southwark Bridge: there were 24 bodies found in different sections of the boat. Over the next few days the remaining 26 bodies were gradually recovered along the river, the last being Mr de Vasconcellos himself.''
In August 1991, a report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said "the failure of lookouts on both ships was the immediate cause of the tragedy,'' the BBC said.
In 1995, an inquest jury returned a verdict of "unlawful killing" but the Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was insufficient evidence.
