IT was just a routine ferry crossing from Cairnryan yesterday evening, but one that was plunged into crisis when just before docking in Belfast it emerged that a woman and a child had gone into the water.
At 6.05pm, when most of us are sitting down to our tea, hundreds of passengers on board the Stena Superfast VII were left horror struck that a woman and very young baby had fallen into the cold waters below.
That was where routine ended, but fast action ensured the woman was able to be rescued. Even so, she is thought to have been in the water for around 15 minutes.
While there was momentary relief when the woman was rescued from the sea and taken to hospital, there was an aching sadness as it emerged that the baby – understand to be just weeks old – was still missing.
All the 319 passengers had left the ferry and port, no doubt shell-shocked, as the News Letter and other media outlets arrived at the terminal in north Belfast yesterday evening just before 8pm.
We found atmosphere of shock, worry etched on the faces of everyone from police to Stena staff as they waited for news.
The eerie silence stretched down the lough as Belfast Port itself was closed to all water traffic while the Coastguard co-ordinated a widespread search operation making the most of the last of the long evening light.
Only the drone of the Irish Coastguard helicopter could occasionally be heard as it swooped back and forth combing the lough for any sign of the missing infant, while the shores were also scoured.
The waters of Belfast Lough looked as blue and calm as ever, belying the anguish that must be engulfing one family out there as Northern Ireland waits for news.
Yet as darkness fell last night, the atmosphere at port grew even more tense as it became clear there was still no news of the little child.
The search is set to resume at first light this morning.
Little information was available last night even down to the age and gender of the child, whether they were local or from overseas. Stena Line spokespeople at the scene gave limited information.
But while we have no idea how or why the woman and baby came to be in the water, across social networking sites Twitter and Facebook last night, scores of posts appeared expressing their alarm and offering their thoughts and prayers for the child and his or her family.
• Were you on the ferry involved? Ring the News Letter on 028 3839 5570