An often asked question is what happened to the captain of the oceans at this stage, eyewitness accounts reveal that many of the crew, including Captain Avranias, were already packed and ready to depart, seemingly unconcerned with the safety of the passengers. Arriving at the dive site, the team was amazed by the conditions. After Capt. By God, you are right! Smith replied. On Sunday, the day before the first dive attempt, the gusty southwesterly wind blew. It was owned by Epirotiki Lines of Greece and chartered at the time by a South African company, TFC Tours. Just before he boarded a train to Washington, Pryal reported, the man smiled at him and said, Be good, shipmate, until we meet again., There is no possibility I am mistaken. Pryal told a reporter. The sewage and water systems had their one way "check valves" removed and not replaced. But over 100 people left on board, crew and passengers. Sunk by uncontrolled flooding on 4 August 1991 off the coast of South Africa. Yiannis Avranas not only abandoned the Greek cruise ship Oceanos after it suffered an explosion off the coast of South Africa but cut ahead of an elderly passenger to be hoisted aloft by a helicopter. The guitarist who saved hundreds of people on a sinking cruise liner What happened to the captain of the Costa Concordia? He and fellow entertainer Julian Butler[8] directed the efforts of the entertainment staff - including Robin Boltman - to assist them. The weather forecast was predicting a strong northeasterly wind by morning, a factor that could easily mean the end of the expedition. The ship was built in France and owned by a Greek cruise ship company. A magician who had been performing on the ship took over the bridge, monitoring rescue calls, as a fellow entertainer kept passengers calm by playing Beatles songs on his guitar. Italy's highest court has upheld the 16-year jail sentence given to the captain of the Costa Concordia, which capsized in 2012 killing 32 people. The generators had been shorted, and the supply of power to the engines had been severed. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! One of the most famous involved the HMS Birkenhead, which wrecked off the coast of South Africa in 1852 while transporting British troops to war. Share; Posted May 23, 2010. . At about 9:30p.m., a muffled explosion was heard and Oceanos lost power. He had apparently confused the Titanics partially enclosed promenade deck with the totally open one of her sister ship, Olympic, which he had previously commanded. Maritime experts said the tradition of a captain standing by his ship isn't established in international maritime law. None of the 571 passengers drowned. Still others believed he had made it to an overturned lifeboat but lost his grip, possibly when one of the Titanics immense funnels broke loose and crashed into the water nearby. In the British and American inquiries that followed, a more complicated picture emerged. On the morning of July 12, 1952, Forges Chantiers de la Gironde launched the last of four sister ships in Bordeaux, France, under the name of Jean Laborde. ), READ MORE: Titanic By the Numbers: From Construction to Disaster to Discovery. He didnt give up though. Cowardice comes in many forms, but there's a special sense of shame reserved for captains who abandon ship. Top 10 Disgraced Captains Who Abandoned Ship - Listverse Diving The Oceanos. From Times Wire Services. THE GREATEST MARITIME RESCUE IN HISTORY OCEANOS - Africa Ports What happened to the captain and crew of the Oceanos? But his or her responsibility extends to executing the evacuation plan that all passenger ships are required to have and practice. ", the captain of the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia. Schettino also didnt immediately alert the Italian Search and Rescue Authority about the accident. [5] They used the radio phone to broadcast a mayday distress call until Moss received a response.[7]. "You need someone on the ship to communicate with them, to command the people who are on the ship, to help get the passengers off and to guide the rescuers.". The teams arrival at Hole in the Wall on Saturday, May 3, was scheduled to coincide with a window period in which there is a reduction in the force of the Agulhas current. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. No one knows exactly where Captain E.J. Surviving wireless operator Harold Bride, a more reliable witness, said hed seen Smith dive from the bridge into the sea. Others said he was swept off by a wave orhaving been swept offswam back to the Titanic to meet his end. 1940)[1] is a Greek former sea captain who commanded the cruise ship Oceanos when she sank off the Wild Coast of the Transkei, South Africa, on Sunday 4 August 1991. Schettino reportedly said he ended up in a life raft after he tripped and fell into the water. That was one of several incidents that have led some historians to question whether Smith had gone into a state of shock. Use of this site is governed by the User Agreement, Privacy Policy(function(w,d){var loader=function(){var s=d.createElement("script"),tag=d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js";tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);};if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load",loader,false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload",loader);}else{w.onload=loader;}})(window,document); and Disclosure Policy. "[10], Captain Avranas received extensive media coverage as an example of unprofessional behaviour whilst in command. Physical and psychological training, descent strategies, bottom times, gas mixes, decompression profiles, equipment, and logistical planning; all these considerations had to be finalized before the team arrived on location at the Hole in the Wall hotel, where supportive technical diving and medical infrastructures do not exist. This statement has placed the 51-year-old . The captain broadcasted a distress signal as he tried to steer the ship towards shore in order for rescuers to reach them. [22] The show Extreme Weather: The Survivors featured a segment on the sinking. There was no reply to either. EAST LONDON, South Africa . Cruise ship MTS Oceanos sinks off the coast of South Africa, 4 - Reddit Everyone who had been put into lifeboats was rescued by passing ships and remarkably no lives were lost. It was an event that ended with the sinking of a family cruise shi. The international and some Greek media condemned the attitude of Captain Yiannis Avranas. The good news was that the current had weakened substantially, so the dive was postponed in the hope that conditions would improve later in the day. No matter what time I leave. As provided for by Greek Maritime Law pursuant to Article 223: Captain of non-departures last during the abandonment of a dangerous ship, punishable by imprisonment and penalty of money . It has been reported that the ship was in a state of neglected maintenance with loose hull plates and an unfitted ventilation pipe. Unable to spend sufficient time on the wreck, the Camera 7 team was forced to deploy a remote, surface-controlled camera to acquire the footage required for their investigation. All Rights Reserved. [10][11] Among the entertainers onboard was the South African cabaret performer, Alvon Collison,[12][13] who later reported that he had begun singing an impromptu repertoire as the ship was sinking, in an effort to keep the passengers' spirits up. Three years later she wrote in her book entitled, The Tragedy of the Oceanos: Christos Nikolaou, an Oceanist, had a relative who was an executive at the Panhellenic Federation. Francesco Schettino Sparks Outrage", "Revisiting the sinking of Oceanos part 1:Heroic Rescue Effort Saves 571", Down With The Ship NPR Snap Judgement episode #726, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MTS_Oceanos&oldid=1151622929, Sunk by uncontrolled flooding on 4 August 1991 off the coast of, This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 05:19. "The captain called the men to attention," says William Fowler, a maritime historian at Northeastern University. [5], Oceanos sank bow first approximately 45 minutes after the last person was airlifted from the deck. They accused the crew and the captain, but if there werent good moves with so much inconvenience and so much wave who would be saved? And he did not lighten his position after the accident when he told a foreign television station: The ships abandonment applies to everyone. In Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab sets off to hunt the whale, leaving the capable Starbuck in charge. Steve said, We had to hold onto the anchor line with all our strength. But when it deviated from its planned path to sail closer to the island of Giglio, the ship struck a reef known as the Scole Rocks. Francesco Schettino, accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and of abandoning his crippled cruise ship off Tuscany while passengers were still on board. Industries; War and Militaries; Follow her on Twitter at @MsBeckyLittle. The first meet was a pool session where, for the first time in an underwater environment, the divers had a chance to meet all the team members and familiarize themselves with each others equipment. How does the braking system work in a car? As water gushed into the ship and the three other crew members jumped overboard, Royer stayed in the wheelhouse to make a frantic mayday call and give the ship's position to the Coast Guard. In Greece the case was referred to the High Council of Maritime Accidents of the Ministry of Maritime. "Abandon is for everybody. Avranas at the time defended his actions, saying he left the ship to direct rescue operations. Its captain was accused of manslaughter and abandoning the 4,200 passengers and crew on the night of the wreck. MACHINE LEARNING INVESTING IS SPECULATIVE BY NATURE. At about 15:30 the following day, the Oceanos could hold her head up no longer and sank. "Heres why and how the Oceanos sank off the Wild Coast", Sunday Tribune, 26 Feb, 2017, A Captain's Tale: 'The Rescue Was Perfect - Everybody Is Safe', OCEANOS CAPTAIN INSISTED ON EARLY RESCUE, DIVER SAYS, South Africa probes cause of luxury liner's sinking, Cruise captain sparks outrage among mariners, "Costa Concordia Tragedy: Capt. May she rest in peace and be as kind to those that follow this great accomplishment. The MV Oceanos was a 153m passenger ship, built in 1952 and designed to carry 550 passengers and 250 crew. None of the 571 passengers drowned. With hundreds of people on board, the ship springs a leak, then . What should I say to the media? To the port authorities I have said that we hada blackout. (Ferrarini was later convicted for contributing to the disaster by delaying rescue operations.). En route to Durban, the Oceanos cruise ship set out from the port of East London on Saturday, August 3, 1991, into 40-knot winds and nine-meter swells. Jim Staples, a captain for 20 years, who spoke Wednesday from a 1,000-foot cargo vessel he was captaining near New Orleans, said captains are duty-bound to stay with the ship until the situation is hopeless. In 1991, Capt. Nothing less will do in this profession," said Jorgen Loren, captain of a passenger ferry operating between Sweden and Denmark and chairman of the Swedish Maritime Officer's Association.
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