Mark Heydon was one of the last people to see the Herald of Free Enterprise sailing before it capsized 28 years ago – March 6, 1987.

Mr Heydon, now 45, of Horn Street in Seabrook, was a catering assistant on board Townsend Thoresen’s FE6 Pride of Sandwich.

Both ships were mid-Channel when they came into sight, the Herald travelling towards Zeebrugge and the FE6 returning to Dover.

Little did he know it was the last time the vessel would be making that journey.

Mr Heydon, who was 18, said: “At the time we were on deck having a tea break and I had made coffee for the chefs. It must have been between 1pm and 3pm.

“I don’t know if it was on that particular day that I asked, but I said ‘What is the name of that ship?’, as it didn’t normally go from Dover to Zeebrugge.

'It was only because one of the other ships was on a refit it had taken its place.' - Mark Heydon

“It was only because one of the other ships was on a refit it had taken its place.”

Mr Heydon was working shifts that patterned 24 hours on and 48 hours off, meaning that the Herald would pass him every three days.

On March 6, the Herald left berth 12 at Zeebrugge on its voyage for Dover at 6.05pm.

It capsized just outside of the harbour walls at 6.28pm, carrying 81 cars, 47 freight vehicles and 459 passengers.

A total of 193 passengers and crew died.

An investigating document, published in July of that year by the Department for Transport, recorded that it tipped because the inner and outer bow doors were left open.

Assistant bosun Mark Stanley was held responsible for its capsizing because he was asleep in his bunk. His job was to shut the doors before the ship set sail.

The report said that he was woken by the sudden jerking as the ship began tipping.

'Mr Stanley has frankly recognised his failure to turn up for duty and he will, no doubt, suffer remorse for a long time to come.' Department for Transport report

it said. “Mr Stanley has frankly recognised his failure to turn up for duty and he will, no doubt, suffer remorse for a long time to come.”

Mr Heydon was completely unaware of the disaster as he disembarked at Dover and made his way back home to the Enbrook Valley in Sandgate, where he lived with his parents Lewis and Wendy.

Lewis was also an able seaman for various Townsend Thoresen vessels but was off-duty that night.

Mr Heydon said: “It was quite unbelievable when it happened.

“I was home when my grandad phoned to ask if I was OK and where my dad was.

“He told me to turn the news on the TV as one of the ships had capsized. I was totally unaware of it until my grandad phoned.”

His telephone rang frequently that night because friends and family were seeking reassurance that neither Mr Heydon or his father were involved.

The FE6 held a memorial service on board as it slowly entered Zeebrugge harbour a few weeks later.

The crew gathered on deck as the ship passed the harbour wall and a wreath was thrown into the sea by Mr Heydon who was picked by an officer.

He said: “I was stood there with the crew and an officer tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘Would you like to throw this in, lad?”

His role as a catering assistant meant he was heavily involved with passengers, serving refreshments and working in duty free.

Weeks afterwards passengers still had the tragedy in the back of their minds.

“We had a bit of a swirl one day and the ship tilted over to the side for what seemed longer than normal,” he said.

“Glasses fell off tables, and you could hear them smashing against the floor.

“There was one whole generation of a family, I’m talking about nan, grandad, mum dad and children. They were all either crying or had tears in their eyes and that was only a little while after the Herald.

“The loud noise it created just worried people.

“But people still had to use the ferry. There was no Channel Tunnel back then.”

• A memorial service is being held today in St Mary's Church at 11am. Some people go to the Prince of Wales Pier afterwards to throw wreaths and flowers into the sea.