SIX MEN WERE DROWNED IN ONE OF THE WORST DISASTERS IN THE HISTORY OF SEVERN NAVIGATION ON SATURDAY NIGHT, WHEN THREE PETROL-CARRYING TANKERS BOUND FROM AVONMOUTH TO GLOUCESTER, ABOUT TO ENTER SHARPNESS DOCKS, WERE SWEPT AWAY BY THE FIERCE TIDE RUNNING IN THE ESTUARY.
OF THE TOTAL CREW OF EIGHT MEN ON THE THREE VESSELS, ONLY TWO, ONE OF WHOM IS A GLOUCESTER MAN, SURVIVE. THEY CLUNG DESPERATELY TO THEIR STRANDED BARGE FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND WERE GALLANTLY RESCUED IN THE DARKNESS BY A BOAT WHICH BRAVED THE PERILS OF THE TREACHEROUS CURRENTS AND DARKNESS FROM THE PURTON SHORE.

Read on! This is not my Memory just from the Internet but is a very good read !
Cheers

Severn Tanker Disaster - Training Ship Vindicatrix (tsvindicatrixsevernarea.co.uk)