What happened to the Italian cruise ship captain? The waves reached 14 meters. Making things worse, the crew had dropped the anchor incorrectly, causing the ship to flop over even more dramatically. Sailing close to shore to give passengers a nice view or salute other sailors is known as a sail-by, and its unclear how often cruise ships perform these maneuvers. 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. Smith's body was never recovered, and his final moments remain a mysterywith no shortage of conflicting accounts. The first engineer along with some of the engine room got on a boat and left. hide caption. It was owned by Epirotiki Lines of Greece and chartered at the time by a South African company, TFC Tours. March 5, 2004. Chopper pilot, Ian Osborne, lifted his Alouette helicopter into the air en route to the wreck site. At roughly midnight, Andrews reportedly told Smith the Titanic could last another 60 to 90 minutes. Is there confession in the Armenian Church? Captain Yiannis Avranas told reporters in Durban that he did not desert the ship but left to coordinate rescue efforts from shore. This statement has placed the 51-year-old . He would attempt to sit there. Aug. 6, 1991 12 AM PT. None of the 571 passengers drowned. Do you think anyone was weighing in the boats.. Captain of MTS Oceanos. Schettino also didnt immediately alert the Italian Search and Rescue Authority about the accident. 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. Technical diving is an exact science, and every member of the team performed their tasks with efficiency and focus. Updated: April 12, 2023 | Original: November 12, 2020. By God, you are right! Smith replied. A Greek board of inquiry found Avranas and four officers negligent in their handling of the disaster. On one occasion the 200-liter drum we used as a marker buoy was pulled down to 34m by the current. [5], Earlier repairs to the waste disposal system had not been completed, which meant that a vital ventilation pipe which ran through the watertight aft bulkhead and the non-return valves were not replaced. Very well, Pryal, the man supposedly answered, but please dont detain me. . He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Employer. What happened to the captain of the Costa Concordia? Receive the latest AI investment news, offers, and updates from Rebellion Research. [14] He was never incarcerated and Epirotiki gave him command of a ferry until his retirement. [16] A South African Navy Diver testified that the captain had insisted on being taken ashore by the first helicopter. He is being held in house arrest as prosecutors prepare criminal charges. "If the master is simply looking out for himself or herself, you've breached your duty both legally and morally, to your ship, your crew and your passengers," says Allen, the University of Washington law professor. I never saw the captain among us helping, he says.. 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. In his characteristic style, he managed to weave a comical moment into his narrative of the tumultuous events, telling reporters that he had started singing "Bye Bye Miss American Pie", when he suddenly realised that the next line was going to be "Thisll be the day that I die" - and quickly switched to another song[14][15], Hills later said that searching for Captain Avranas, he had discovered him smoking on the fantail and he said "I think he was in deep, deep shock. If some people like to stay, they can stay. Concern showed on everyones faces, but although an immense amount of planning, effort, and money is poured into conducting a deep-diving expedition, the safety of those involved is always the priority. At six in the morning the helicopters appeared. "It's a matter of honor that the master is the last to leave. The international and some Greek media condemned the attitude of Captain Yiannis Avranas. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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 moment was immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as the "Birkenhead drill." 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. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. I would avoid any cruise that involves a Greek ship! When they bail early, everything falls apart. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Life seems to have been unaware that immediately after Silent Smiths death in 1915, the Lima News had identified the man as one Michael McKenna. Several estimated it was no more than five miles away. Heres some good live video when it happened!!! "He deeply regrets not being with his crew. Captains accused of leaving prematurely often claim they can manage the situation better from the safety of a lifeboat, rescue vessel or on shore. After an hour of waiting, he said he saw Smith coming, approached him, and asked him how we was. The Oceanos crew was referred to disciplinary inspection for withdrawal of diploma or grade, but they were all acquitted.. A Greek board of inquiry found Avranas and four officers negligent in their handling of the disaster. This page is not available in other languages. And on the boat what could he do in addition., The circumstances were tragic and my responsibility was more than great. Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! Smith was back in the news in 1940, when a letter in Life magazine suggested that the captain had ended his days as an elderly derelict in Lima, Ohio, known as Silent Smith. Among the evidence: The man had arrived in town three years after the Titanic disaster, would only give his name as Smith, was about Smiths age and size, and bore the sort of tattoos common among seafarers. If some people like to stay, they can stay.". "It isn't just a maritime code, it's a code of leadership," Gurnon said. . In the British and American inquiries that followed, a more complicated picture emerged. There is some film on YOUTUBE showing the sinking of the Oceanos. Soon after the collision, he and other officers saw what they believed to be the lights of a nearby ship. In the middle of the 19th century, there were a number of incidents in which ships foundered and captains and their crews were either celebrated for leading the rescue or reviled for saving themselves while passengers drowned. It was as if the Wild Coast had been tranquilized by a hunters dart. Smith was accused of ignoring ice warnings from other ships and failing to reduce the ships speed to fit the conditions at hand. Through the confusion,the captain somehow made it into a lifeboat before everyone else had made it off. Barry Coleman and the team have accomplished is an amazing feat they have succeeded in conducting two fully controlled dives on the Oceanos. 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 . The ship started taking on water, rapidly flooding the engine room. We were preparing to eat when the first mechanic warned us. I have made a mess and practically the whole ship is flooding, Schettino told Ferrarini while the ship was sinking. In addition, Pryals doctor attested that he was absolutely sane and not given to hallucinations., In fact, Pryal said he had seen Smith twice, once on a Wednesday and again the following Saturday, when he returned to the same spot to look for him. [2], At the time of the accident, Yiannis Avranas had been an officer for twenty years and a seaman for thirty. Other information if you google or youtube it. At first it appeared as if Smiths luck was going to hold. Although only three divers made it to the wreck, it was the role of each team member that made it possible. But over 100 people left on board, crew and passengers. On schedule, the shallow-water backup team left the boat and descended toward the decompressing divers. "There must be a point at which I would think that now it is time to jump into the water so I don't die," he said. BE SURE TO FIRST CONSULT WITH A QUALIFIED FINANCIAL ADVISER, TAX PROFESSIONAL, OR ATTORNEY BEFORE IMPLEMENTING ANY STRATEGY OR RECOMMENDATION DISCUSSED HEREIN. 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. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/news/titanic-captain-edward-smith-final-hours-death. The captain must first ensure the safety of his passengers, then of his crew and, finally, of the ship, though the notion that he's supposed to go down with it is more legend than fact. Then he returned and oversaw the operation from the air. Often, as in the case of Schettino, charges are brought based not on dereliction of maritime duty but for offenses that might pertain on land as well, such as negligence and manslaughter. In Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab sets off to hunt the whale, leaving the capable Starbuck in charge. 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. Sunk by uncontrolled flooding on 4 August 1991 off the coast of South Africa. In the U.S., case law indicates that a ship's master must be the last person to leave and make all reasonable efforts to save everyone and everything on it. Realizing the ships fate, the crew fled in panic, neglecting to close the lower deck portholes, which is standard policy during emergency procedures. 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. Follow her on Twitter at @MsBeckyLittle. 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. With hundreds of people on board, the ship springs a leak, then . All Rights Reserved. ISSN 1469-865X | Copyright 1996 - 2022 deeperblue.net limited. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Within eight minutes I closed the waterproof doors. I am on business., Pryal said he trailed Smith to a train station. 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. Search and Rescue contacted the ship a few minutes after 10:00 p.m., but Schettino didnt tell them what had happened for about 20 more minutes. In the time of need, however, the crew found that everything was useless. Those who did earned instant infamy, like the captain of the Greek luxury liner Oceanos, which sank in rough seas off South Africa in 1991. [25], "Oceanos" redirects here. It has been reported that the ship was in a state of neglected maintenance with loose hull plates and an unfitted ventilation pipe. He immediately ordered an evacuation of all passengers and crew. In 1976, she was acquired by Epirotiki Lines of Greece and registered under the name of Oceanos.[2]. Two more were added to these later. "But that would come after the ship has been evacuated," he added. He wanted to see where they were taking the crew to land. ", Report: Captain claims he "tripped" into lifeboat. I wanted to go down to the deck, where they were left lying on the floor, covered with blankets, passengers and crew members who sang to get courage. Must a captain be the last one off a sinking ship? However, rough seas caused the party to be held inside in the Four Seasons lounge;[5] most passengers chose to stay in their cabins. Various factors affect the flow rate of the current including pressure systems, the position of flow, coastal-trapped waves, and wind. Ship Captain. "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. A little more than an hour after impact, the crew began to evacuate the ship. A wide range of diverse considerations had to be taken care of, both personally and as a team. 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. He had also left the radio operator on board, and they were talking. Fourth Officer Joseph G. Boxhall made a quick inspection of the ship and returned to the bridge to report that he had found no damage. No matter what time I leave. Having reached the limit of Bretts safe air supply and time underwater, the divers returned to the anchor line to begin their ascent. He said he supervised the . Although conditions looked very good for diving, a large shore break was preventing our launch, and the skippers felt the risk to the team, and their vessels were too great. The last charge carries a potential sentence of 12 years in prison. But the weather was so bad that the helicopter crew advised against boarding". Given that the officers of the vessel had all fled in . South Korean authorities have arrested Capt. [20][21], Dateline NBC aired a documentary of the incident on 23 May 2010. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All Rights Reserved. Everyone on board the cruise ship Oceanos was safe and accounted for Monday, but survivors angrily accused the . He didnt give up though. The Oceanos lies at a depth between 92m and 97m, about 5km offshore, on the western edge of the mighty Agulhas current. It is generally a sequence of events, things that line up in a bad way that ultimately create that incident., READ MORE: 5 Maritime Disasters You Might Not Know About. This window period, although based on unscientific information provided by maritime vessels in the area, falls in May and December. MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when it suffered uncontrolled flooding.MTS Oceanos. 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. The Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew, slammed into a reef on Friday, after Schettino made an unauthorized maneuver. Maritime officials who did not want to be quoted said it was . 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. [citation needed], While trying to make up lost time, Oceanos encountered rough seas. To ask them to stare down death from the bridge, as the lights go out and the water rises, until everyone else has made it to safety? [7][failed verification] The NPR radio show and podcast Snap Judgment featured an account of the sinking by Moss Hills. 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. 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 objective was to show how the application of experience and established diving technique to a near-insurmountable challenge could safely lead to success. 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. The helicopter was used to survey conditions around the wreck that lies at a distance of 9.5km from Hole in the Wall. He says he lowered the switches, stopped the power generators and the ships engines. What happened to the Italian cruise ship captain? IIRC his response to being in a life boat was, "he was oraganizing the rescue effort! But whatever the reason for getting too close, the Italian courts found the captain, four crew members and one official from the ships company, Costa Crociere (part of Carnival Corporation), to be at fault for causing the disaster and preventing a safe evacuation. 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. 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. -. But the report noted that some passengers testified that they didnt hear the alarm to proceed to the lifeboats. South Korean authorities have arrested Capt. The impact on the Scole Rocks occurred at about 9:45 p.m. local time, and the first person to contact rescue officials about the ship was someone on the shore, according to the investigative report. After the sinking, Avranas attracted extensive media coverage, often being vilified and used as an example of poor professional behaviour while in command. I just watched national geografic program about the Oceanos tragedy. The Costa Concordia was owned by Costa Crociere, a subsidiary of Carnival . The impact and water leakage caused an electrical blackout on the ship, and a recorded phone call with Costa Crocieres crisis coordinator, Roberto Ferrarini, shows he tried to downplay and cover up his actions by saying the blackout was what actually caused the accident. They had returned them as they had sent them., Two babies, one 22 days old and the other one year old I put them down with a bucket (bucket) on the boat, he says. The Oceanos thrust her stern into the air and slid nose first into the sea. 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. Seamen have expressed almost universal outrage at Capt. He didnt give up on the mystery ship, ordering the crew of at least one lifeboat to row toward the lights, drop off passengers and return to Titanic for more. It had also had several sewerage-holding tank non-return valves stripped for repairs following problems with bilge water rising through showers and toilets on a recent trip to Mozambique. He hit the bottom, got back up, side of the fault and was swallowed by the sea forever.. MACHINE LEARNING INVESTING IS SPECULATIVE BY NATURE. That was one of several incidents that have led some historians to question whether Smith had gone into a state of shock.