Survivor haunted by Summerland disaster that killed 50

A woman from Northern Ireland who survived the Summerland disaster on the Isle of Man, in which 50 people including her fiancé died, has spoken of the horror that still haunts her.

Thousands of holidaymakers were inside the popular waterfront leisure complex in Douglas when fire swept through the building on 2 August 1973.

Eileen Fisher’s fiancé Will Hamilton was among those who were killed.

“It was days and days later when the news was broken to me,” she said.

“I was in complete shock.”

Eileen suffered serious burns that have continued to give her health problems to this day – but escaped with her life thanks to a stranger who pulled her to safety.

“We were on the very top floor – there was a little shop down below which sold ice-cream and sweets, and I think I fell onto the yellow awning which maybe broke my fall,” she recalled.

“When I got outside, there was a six-foot wall and there was no way I could have climbed over it.

“A gentleman on the other side pulled me over. I would very much love to meet that gentleman just to thank him so, so much.”

The fire had been started by three boys smoking in a kiosk and no one was ever prosecuted.

However, the enormity of the disaster did lead to changes in building regulations in the UK.

Eileen later married a childhood friend, but is now widowed.

She has never forgotten her fiancé or the other victims of the tragedy and hopes one day to be well enough to visit the memorial in Douglas.