The British inquiry essentially exonerated him, saying he did nothing other captains wouldnt have done. Abandonment is for everybody, if some people want to stay, they can stay. MACHINE LEARNING INVESTING IS SPECULATIVE BY NATURE. While we were busy on one hand throwing the boats they went the other way and left, says Nikolaou. [1] He was married to British national Davina Avrana.[3]. The avoidable disaster killed 32 people and seriously injured many others, and left investigators wondering: Why was the luxury cruise ship sailing so close to the shore in the first place? Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! [9], A Greek board of inquiry found Avranas and four officers negligent in their handling of the disaster. May she rest in peace and be as kind to those that follow this great accomplishment. Stranger still are several widely publicized reports that he didnt die at all. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger crash-landed a flight in the Hudson River in 2009, he twice walked the plane to make sure no one was left onboard before leaving himself. Schettino argued that he fell into a lifeboat because of how the ship was listing to one side, but this argument proved unconvincing. International standards for sea captains vary. All three divers were ecstatic and eager to make the most of the prevailing conditions; the second dive was scheduled for the following day. ", the captain of the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia. Rescue helicopters began arriving three hours later, and winched passengers and remaining crew to safety, with Hills continuing in charge of the orderly evacuation. By the next morning rescuers found Oceanos adrift just off Coffee Bay, on the Wild Coast. [citation needed]. There were also 12 inflatable rescue media on the cruise ship. Meanwhile, he told the ships two wireless operators to get ready to transmit distress signals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWGXa8QivR4. This window period, although based on unscientific information provided by maritime vessels in the area, falls in May and December. She headed into 40-knot (20m/s) winds and 9m (30ft) swells. "It is not just unseemly for a captain to leave a ship," Shealy says. The open-circuit diver is therefore restricted in terms of profile and dive time due to the chosen static supply of gas content and quantity carried. Attaining a maximum depth of 86.4m, the three divers initially made their way North to the stern, where Brett Hawton had time to pose next to the raised Greek lettering, spelling out the name OKEANOZ. At any time when you have an incident similar to Concordia, there is nevera single causal factor, says Brad Schoenwald, a senior marine inspector at the United States Coast Guard. 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.). He made the wrong choice. Then, about two years ago, South African technical divers Barry Coleman and Brett Hawton decided it was time to revisit the Oceanos. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Steve Minne and Johan Swart confirmed the formidable force of the current. The weather conditions became so severe that Avranas determined it best to abandon ship and hope for rescue from nearby vessels or helicopters. In its investigative report on the 2012 disaster, Italys Ministry of Infrastructures and Transports found that the Concordia was sailing too close to the coastline, in a poorly lit shore areaat an unsafe distance at night time and at high speed (15.5 kts)., In his trial, Captain Schettino blamed the shipwreck on Helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin, who he claimed reacted incorrectly to his order; and argued that if the helmsman had reacted correctly and quickly, the ship wouldnt have wrecked. He would attempt to sit there. The captain goes down with the ship is a maritime tradition suggesting that a captain is honor-bound to stay on a sinking ship until all passengers and crew members have been safely evacuated. [1] Avranas was quoted in the New York Times as saying, "When I give the order abandon ship, it doesn't matter what time I leave. that after a series of freak waves slammed against the ship, the pipe's shell plating burst open and began filling the compartment with seawater. 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. After more than three hours in the water, they were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. Davina Avrana. The MV Oceanos was a 153m passenger ship, built in 1952 and designed to carry 550 passengers and 250 crew. Although Barry, Paul, and Brett would dive to the Oceanos as a team, they were all on different equipment. Only entertainment staff, singers and waiters helped us later. The remaining members of the team waited on the boat; some recalled the video footage they had seen of the previous dive made on Monday afternoon and tried to imagine themselves being down there on the wreck with them. Evidence introduced in Schettinos trial suggests that the safety of his passengers and crew wasnt his number one priority as he assessed the damage to the Concordia. It was August 3, 1991 when Rosemary Roe saw the dishes slipping on the table during dinner. Coast Guard to capt. Moss and Tracy, who now live in Liverpool, continued working as cruise ship entertainers for many years. [2] Usually, there would have been a "sail-away" party on deck. Several of the ship's crew, notably Capt. While the ship could have stayed afloat with up to four flooded compartments, depending on their location, five tipped into catastrophic territory. Such callous words were spoken by Yiannis Avranas, captain of the Greek luxury liner Oceanos, which sank off the coast of South Africa in 1991. At first it appeared as if Smiths luck was going to hold. I knew then we were soon going.. It was also discussed in an episode of Nova on 18 April 2012, entitled, "Why Ships Sink", which focused mainly on the Costa Concordia accident (whose commanding officer also fled while passengers were still aboard). "They were to stand at attention on the sinking ship until the women and children their wives and children were led off the boats.". It was also around 12:45 a.m. that crewmen lowered the first of the Titanics lifeboats to the ocean surface. All 571 passengers and crew survived. Reports indicate that at around 21:30 off the Wild Coast of the Transkei, the Oceanus Cruise ship lost its power following an explosion in the engine room. [2] Divers have visited her, but strong currents make the dive difficult. hide caption. The 402 passengers and 179 crew members all survived, but Captain Yiannis Avranas and other officers left the ship while some passengers were still on board. [5], No alarm or announcement had been given that the ship was in trouble; with other entertainers working on the cruise, Moss Hills a musician from Zimbabwe and former member of Four Jacks and a Jill who had been performing with his wife Tracy in the lounge, explored below decks, discovered that Oceanos appeared to be sinking, and were informed by the cruise director, Lorraine Betts, that the captain had given the order to abandon ship and some crew had already left in a lifeboat. The notorious master of the vessel was Captain Yiannis Avranas. He said the export to the electric generators had been opened by a surge and water was pouring in. ", "Costa Concordia Tragedy: Capt. So began the worst night of Edward John Smiths otherwise charmed life. 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? He also knew that its 20 lifeboats, with a total capacity of 1,178, couldnt begin to accommodate the more than 2,200 passengers and crew members aboard. "That is the responsibility of the captain, that's why all privileges are given to him but he has together with that an equal burden of responsibility," Pacheco said. BE SURE TO FIRST CONSULT WITH A QUALIFIED FINANCIAL ADVISER, TAX PROFESSIONAL, OR ATTORNEY BEFORE IMPLEMENTING ANY STRATEGY OR RECOMMENDATION DISCUSSED HEREIN. The Oceanos had been on its usual route along the South African coast when it encountered heavy rains and gale-force winds. The Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people. Being one of the worlds most difficult wrecks to reach and successfully dive, the Oceanos offers great rewards for technical divers at the top of their game. In the time of need, however, the crew found that everything was useless. The 402 passengers and 179 crew members all survived . Sunk by uncontrolled flooding on 4 August 1991 off the coast of South Africa. Before the sailing they were given for inspection. The captain went up to the third of these. We were preparing to eat when the first mechanic warned us. Avranas was charged with misconduct after it was discovered that he and numerous crew members left the ship while the passengers remained behind. 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. Still hoping to get the attention of the mysterious ship nearby, the captain ordered the firing of distress rockets at 12:45 a.m. At the same time, Boxhall tried to contact it with a signal lamp, flashing a plea for help in Morse code. At about 9:30p.m., a muffled explosion was heard and Oceanos lost power. A wide range of diverse considerations had to be taken care of, both personally and as a team. Other information if you google or youtube it. Family members of passengers on a South Korean ferry that sank look at lists of survivors on Wednesday. It was an event that ended with the sinking of a family cruise shi. MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when she suffered uncontrolled flooding. All Rights Reserved. "It isn't just a maritime code, it's a code of leadership," Gurnon said. The weather forecast was predicting a strong northeasterly wind by morning, a factor that could easily mean the end of the expedition. The Agulhas shifts an estimated volume of 70 x 106m3/s down the East Coast of South Africa, making it the most powerful current on the globe. But with no sign of conditions improving, the captain eventually decided to lift anchor and the Oceanos, with 581 guests and crew on board, sailed off into 40-knot winds and 9m-high (30ft) waves. After the required decompression runtimes, the divers surfaced, and the team returned to shore. He said he supervised the . "[16][19] In 1992, he and five other officers were convicted of negligence by a Greek board of inquiry for fleeing the ship without helping the passengers. The success of the 1988 cruise season in South Africa was the motivation for her return in 1991 on an eight-month charter for TFC Tours of Johannesburg. Maritime experts said the tradition of a captain standing by his ship isn't established in international maritime law. The American inquiry was only slightly harsher in its judgment. The incident came two years after Francesco Schettino, the captain of the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia, was charged with manslaughter and abandoning ship charges he denies. Avranas at the time defended his actions, saying he left the ship to direct rescue operations. Hills was interviewed in the special, and related that some years later he had been on board when the MS Achille Lauro of Star Lauro sank. At sea, there's no question about who's in charge, so there's no doubt who is responsible for safety. South Korean authorities have arrested Capt. No alarm was raised. But the Carpathia was 58 milesor some four hoursaway. 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. A captain and his crew needlessly endangered the lives of those on board. The 402 passengers and 179 crew members all survived, but Captain Yiannis Avranas and other officers left the ship while some passengers were still on board. The ship reportedly headed into 40-knot winds and 30-foot swells, and thus the typical sail-away outdoor deck party with British entertainers Moss and Tracy Hills was moved to an indoor lounge. The objective was to show how the application of experience and established diving technique to a near-insurmountable challenge could safely lead to success. [22] The show Extreme Weather: The Survivors featured a segment on the sinking. Oceanos is one of the documented tragedies ever to happen in the sea and following a probe by maritime authorities, the captain and his crew were found to . Being one of the worlds most difficult wrecks to reach and successfully dive, the Oceanos offers great rewards for technical divers at the top of their game. None of the 571 passengers drowned. After that, three preparative dives were conducted, including a complete simulation dive on the Griqualand, which lies at 50m, where gas exchanges and emergency procedures were rehearsed. Barry, Brett, and Paul disappeared below the surface. Realising the fate of the ship, the crew reportedly fled in panic, neglecting the standard procedure of closing the lower deck portholes. Towards the end, passengers had to jump into . It's shameful. Smith was accused of ignoring ice warnings from other ships and failing to reduce the ships speed to fit the conditions at hand. Technicians pass in a small boat near the stricken cruise liner Costa Concordia lying aground in front of the Isola del Giglio on January 26, 2012 after hitting underwater rocks on January 13. Former captain of the Costa Concordia Francesco Schettino speaks with reporters after being aboard the ship with the team of experts inspecting the wreck on February 27, 2014 in Isola del Giglio, Italy. All Rights Reserved. Captain of MTS Oceanos. Then he returned and oversaw the operation from the air. The helicopter was used to survey conditions around the wreck that lies at a distance of 9.5km from Hole in the Wall. "His duty as the highest authority available short of God himself was to make sure his crew was safe before he left the ship," says Craig Symonds, a retired Naval Academy historian. The ship was built in France and owned by a Greek cruise ship company. [5] The final minutes of her sinking were captured on video and broadcast by ABC News. In 1991, Capt. What happened to the cruise ship Oceanos? MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when it suffered uncontrolled flooding.MTS Oceanos. The crew said that likely saved their lives, because the ship's emergency beacon didn't work. [5] The generators were shut down because the rising water would have short circuited them. Video footage shows their progress as pale rays of sunlight filtered through the corridor windows, throwing subtle illuminations across the dark interior. The expedition required diligent and intense preparation. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Smiths body was never recovered, and his final moments remain a mystery, with no shortage of conflicting accountsincluding one in which he jumped off the ship holding a baby. The image of a captain staying with a sinking vessel has recurred again and again, in literature and real life. [25], "Oceanos" redirects here. A 2:20 a.m., the last portion of the Titanic disappeared between the waves. Maritime officials who did not want to be quoted said it was . None of the 571 passengers drowned. I would avoid any cruise that involves a Greek ship! A coast guard member angrily told him on the phone to Get back on board, damn it!a recorded sound bite that turned into a T-shirt slogan in Italy. MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when it suffered uncontrolled flooding.MTS Oceanos. Nearby vessels responded to the ships SOS and were the first to assist. One of the divers, Karl van der Merwe, commented, The current was so strong that it would rip your mask off your face and your regulator out of your mouth. "When I order abandon ship, it doesn't matter what time I leave," Avranas said. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Bill Wright, senior vice president of Marine Operations for the Royal Caribbean International cruise line. The team retired for the night, hoping that conditions would improve. As soon as we reached seven degrees, we decided to lower the boats and start evacuation. Five divers, including the late Rehan Bouwer, made four attempts to reach the Oceanos, but only succeeded twice, and then only for a matter of minutes. Smith's body was never recovered, and his final moments remain a mysterywith no shortage of conflicting accounts. Will this discovery change our understanding of Titanic's final moments? The wind was still blowing, and large swells were visible on the horizon. Now he was about to preside over one of the worst sea disasters of all time. Both he and Paul had to carry stage cylinders for Brett that would be required at specific depths, so the team had to remain together throughout the dive. All Rights Reserved. After the sinking, Avranas attracted extensive media coverage, often being vilified and used as an example of poor professional behaviour while in command. The Oceanos lost power following a leak in the engine room's sea chest. Rear Adm. Richard Gurnon, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy called Schettino's actions "abhorrent" and a violation of an unwritten code. Smith also checked in periodically with the wireless operators until, at about 2 a.m., he released them from duty and told them to try to save themselves. Some countries, like Italy, have included it in national laws. The team rushed to kit up and made their way to the launch site, eager to climb through the open window of opportunity while it lasted. The ships engineer reported to Captain Yiannis Avranias that water was entering the hull and flooding the generator room. What Was the Titanics Captain Doing While the Ship Sank. "It comes from the tradition that the captain has ultimate responsibility and should put the care of others ahead of his own well-being in the discharge of his duties," says David Winkler, program director with the Naval Historical Foundation. During the ensuing trial, prosecutors came up with a tabloid-ready explanation: The married ship captain had sailed it so close to the island to impress a much younger Moldovan dancer with whom he was having an affair. After five days of staying at the hotel, the other Greek sailors with the assistance of the Greek consular authorities also escaped. In 2015, a court found Schettino guilty of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck, abandoning ship before passengers and crew were evacuated and lying to authorities about the disaster. He didnt give up though. The onsite expedition requirements included everything from personal diving gear, three imported Silent Submersion scooters, twenty staged decompression cylinders, a specialized mixed gas compressor unit, several large oxygen, and helium cylinders, three 7.3m rigid hull inflatable boats, an evacuation helicopter, and trained medical personnel. In a matter of hours, more than 1,500 passengers and crew would be dead, including Smith himself. Schettino should have remained on board "until the last passenger is accounted for," said Abelardo Pacheco, a Filipino captain who was held hostage for five months in Somalia and now heads a seafarers' training center in Manila.
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