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. 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. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Hills organized the orderly evacuation of passengers by the helicopters, later reporting that Avranas was among the first to leave at this point. [6] When the ship's worsening list to starboard made it unsafe to continue, Hills and several passengers went to the bridge to look for the crew, but found it unmanned. A more recent example is Robert Royer, the captain of a fishing vessel that sank off Alaska in 2010. [2], At the time of the accident, Yiannis Avranas had been an officer for twenty years and a seaman for thirty. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, newspapers cast Smith as a hero, the brave captain who went down with his ship. On one occasion the 200-liter drum we used as a marker buoy was pulled down to 34m by 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. 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. Chopper pilot, Ian Osborne, lifted his Alouette helicopter into the air en route to the wreck site. Oceanos shipwreck | Wild Coast I would know him even without his beard.. STOCKHOLM - Seafaring tradition holds that the captain should be last to leave a sinking ship. Becky Little is a journalist based in Washington, D.C. A South African navy diver said the captain of the sunken Greek liner Oceanos pushed past elderly pa. [10][failed verification], Avranas claimed that he left the ship first in order to arrange for a rescue effort,[11] and then supervised it from a helicopter. Here's a link if you want to see a video of the story. The sense that captains are beyond the law that they are the law, or at least they were, during the age of sail is why they make such great bad guys. For example, three months after the Titanic disaster, in July 1912, a Baltimore man named Peter Pryal reported seeing Smith on the streets of that city. 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. The Oceanos lies at a depth between 92m and 97m, about 5km offshore, on the western edge of the mighty Agulhas current. Usually, there would have been a "sail-away" party on deck with the ship's musicians and British . In 1994, his English wife Davina published a book about the sinking, titled The Oceanos Tragedy. Although only three divers made it to the wreck, it was the role of each team member that made it possible. 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. The MV Oceanos was a 153 meter passenger ship, built in 1952 and designed to carry 550 passengers and 250 crew. "Shoreside rescue people can do all the shoreside coordination efforts needed," he said. The nearest, RMS Carpathia, replied that it would change course and hurry to the Titanics position. 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. 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. 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 said he supervised the . But is it realistic to expect skippers only human after all to suppress their survival instinct amid the horror of a maritime disaster? "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. [25], "Oceanos" redirects here. INFORMATION PRESENTED HERE IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT INTEND TO MAKE AN OFFER OR SOLICITATION FOR THE SALE OR PURCHASE OF ANY SPECIFIC SECURITIES PRODUCT, SERVICE OR INVESTMENT STRATEGY. Her bow hit the sand 92m below the surface, while more than 60m of her stern remained aloft; minutes later, she was gone. At six in the morning the helicopters appeared. EAST LONDON, South Africa . In 2022, Moss Hills who later became a cruise director was interviewed by Jane Garvey for BBC Radio 4's series Life Changing. Most have heard the story, the sinking of the OCEANOS with 571 passengers and crew on board, none of whom suffered . "He's given the industry a bad name, he's made us all look bad. 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. But the Carpathia was 58 milesor some four hoursaway. He was 46 years old. IIRC his response to being in a life boat was, "he was oraganizing the rescue effort! ), READ MORE: Titanic By the Numbers: From Construction to Disaster to Discovery. It was as if the Wild Coast had been tranquilized by a hunters dart. "When they go bad, they're evil," Shealy says. South Africa probes cause of luxury liner's sinking If some people like to stay, they can stay.". Barry Coleman was yelling, Its a good day to dive, I can feel it in my bones! Well, a good day it certainly was! All Rights Reserved. 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. Cruise captain sparks outrage among mariners - CBS News Under charter by TFC Tours,[1] Oceanos initially delayed by a bomb threat set out from East London, South Africa on 3 August 1991, and headed for Durban. The Oceanos lies at a depth between 92m and 97m, about 5km offshore, on the western edge of the mighty Agulhas current. The ships were used on the Marseilles Madagascar Mauritius service. Then 15 minutes later, the bubbles returned, and there was a sigh of relief. 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? 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 . Many scenarios have been done, my brother. The Oceanos lost power following a leak in the engine room's sea chest. Once the profiles were eventually worked out, all preparations were complete; it was time for the real thing. "The captain called the men to attention," says William Fowler, a maritime historian at Northeastern University. Lee Jun-Seok, who was one of the first to flee from the ferry as it sank on Wednesday. At first it appeared as if Smiths luck was going to hold. 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? Once complete, the team focused on preparing for the dives. But the weather was so bad that the helicopter crew advised against boarding". 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. Barry and Paul were on closed-circuit rebreathers, a Buddy Inspiration rebreather, and a CIS-Lunar MK5P rebreather, respectively. Smith was at 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, 1912. Originally built as a passenger/cargo vessel, the Oceanos underwent massive reconstruction by the time she came to operate as a cruise liner for Epirotiki Lines of Greece. An In Memoriam vintage postcard featuring the Titanic which sank after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 14, 1912 and commemorating her captain, Edward Smith and brave bandsmen, published in Redruth, c. May 1912. The technology means that the rebreather diver uses significantly less gas, has reduced nitrogen uptake, and subsequently fewer decompression requirements. He didnt give up though. Francesco Schettino, were charged with various crimes. There was no reply to either. He wanted to see where they were taking the crew to land. Captain Davina Avranas English wife aboard the ship with their daughter Faye. According to the International Herald Tribune, "Avranas said he had known when he left the ship that there were 170 passengers and crew still aboard [but this was] the only way [to] ensure the safety of all those aboard", furthermore "after checking the situation from the shore, he said, he flew back to the ship on a helicopter, intending to go back on board. By the next morning rescuers found Oceanos adrift just off Coffee Bay, on the Wild Coast. Meanwhile, he told the ships two wireless operators to get ready to transmit distress signals. Captain Yiannis Avranas who left passengers to die? "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.". There were also 12 inflatable rescue media on the cruise ship. One week later, a 32-member team arrived on the scene as part of MNet Camera 7 news channels investigative documentary into the sinking of the Oceanos. "It's a matter of honor that the master is the last to leave. ", Report: Captain claims he "tripped" into lifeboat. For many years, seasoned technical diver, Barry Coleman, has had one consuming desire: to dive the Oceanos. [citation needed]. The team retired for the night, hoping that conditions would improve. Smith was accused of ignoring ice warnings from other ships and failing to reduce the ships speed to fit the conditions at hand. Without a driving force, however, he had to find another solution., The captain broadcast SOS. 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. It was owned by Epirotiki Lines of Greece and chartered at the time by a South African company, TFC Tours. The international and some Greek media condemned the attitude of Captain Yiannis Avranas. There were 200 sailors on the ship as crew members. The unethical, unprofessional prick are working as a Captain of a ferry in Greece. "They were to stand at attention on the sinking ship until the women and children their wives and children were led off the boats.". Something strong wind, something the helicopter pilot, they didnt let me down he said. Greg Daugherty, alongtime magazine editor and frequent contributor to HISTORY.com, has also written on historical topics for Smithsonian, National Geographic Traveler, and other outlets. Barry Coleman and the team have accomplished is an amazing feat they have succeeded in conducting two fully controlled dives on the Oceanos. Since the year of her sinking, the Oceanos has remained in solitary confinement, guarded by the Agulhas current and the secluded landscape of the Transkei. Michigan Senator William Alden Smith, who chaired the Senate investigative committee, charged that Captain Smiths indifference to danger was one of the direct and contributing causes of this unnecessary tragedy., But the senator also gave him credit for his manly bearing and his tender solicitude for the safety of women and little children as well as his willingness to die.. Before the sailing they were given for inspection. -. The crew said that likely saved their lives, because the ship's emergency beacon didn't work. [6] Finding the ship's bridge abandoned, Moss Hills, an on-board entertainer, used the radio phone to broadcast a mayday until another ship answered. But whatever relief Smith might have felt at that moment was quickly shattered. REBELLION RESEARCH ADVISORS, L.P. IS A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISER AND NOT FOR PROFIT EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH THINK TANK. Smith's body was never recovered, and his final moments remain a mysterywith no shortage of conflicting accounts. . Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images Sinking of the Oceanos 1991 - Cruise Critic Community Brett and Paul penetrated the portside corridor behind the on-deck pool while Barry singularly explored the large dining hall area. MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991. There is some film on YOUTUBE showing the sinking of the Oceanos. 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. It is this forward section of the wreck that incurred the wrath of the ocean floor as the bow slammed into the seabed. Passengers remained ignorant of the events until they witnessed the first signs of flooding on the lower decks. Fleeing in a lifeboat, they were told by the captain of a rescue ship to go back and help their passengers. / AP. 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. 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. On open-circuit scuba, the exhaled breath is not fed back into the system but is expelled and is no longer useable. In last year's Star Trek Into Darkness, the bad guy taunts Captain Kirk by saying, "No ship should go down without her captain.". The day of the first dive had dawned. Among the crew, however, some tried to save themselves first. After rescuing passengers and crew followed by interrogations in Durban, South Africa. I just watched national geografic program about the Oceanos tragedy. All 571 passengers and crew survived. However, rough seas caused the party to be held inside in the Four Seasons lounge;[5] most passengers chose to stay in their cabins. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Captain Yiannis Avranas who left passengers to die? The sewage and water systems had their one way "check valves" removed and not replaced. 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. 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. . [5] The final minutes of her sinking were captured on video and broadcast by ABC News. They were taken from the hotel to the airport five minutes before the plane left, otherwise we would still be there judging us , says Nikolaou. 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 . 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. Two more were added to these later. The Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people. [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. So began the worst night of Edward John Smiths otherwise charmed life. ISSN 1469-865X | Copyright 1996 - 2022 deeperblue.net limited. Very well, Pryal, the man supposedly answered, but please dont detain me. What happened to the captain of the Oceanos ship? 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. 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. What happened to the captain of the Oceanos? - Sage-Advices From mariners on ships plying the world's oceans, the answer is loud and clear: Aye. 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. Photographs, some taken by survivors, document the cruise ship sinking off Southern Africa's eastern coast in August 1991. Follow her on Twitter at @MsBeckyLittle. But over 100 people left on board, crew and passengers. About 2:00 p.m., the Oceanos begins its vertical descent. Regular drills ensure everyone knows what to do. [1], Oceanos was launched in July 1952 by Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde in Bordeaux, France as Jean Laborde, the last of four sister ships built for Messageries Maritimes. Do you think anyone was weighing in the boats.. Sinking of Oceanos : Survivor's Accounts - Rebellion Research As author Wyn Craig Wade wrote in The Titanic: End of a Dream, Captain Smith had at least five different deaths, from heroic to ignominious. Rumors of his survival also circulated. A captain and his crew needlessly endangered the lives of those on board. Barry, Brett, and Paul disappeared below the surface. [14] He was never incarcerated and Epirotiki gave him command of a ferry until his retirement. Her captain, Yiannis Avranas, and some of the crew were convicted of negligence for fleeing the ship without helping the passengers, who were subsequently rescued thanks to the efforts of the ship's entertainers, who made a mayday transmission, launched lifeboats, and helped . Share; Posted May 23, 2010. Cruise ship MTS Oceanos sinks off the coast of South Africa, 4 - Reddit [22] The show Extreme Weather: The Survivors featured a segment on the sinking. The ship started taking on water, rapidly flooding the engine room. International standards for sea captains vary. [3][4] Oceanos headed into 40-knot winds and 9m (30ft) swells. Steen Brodersen, a retired Danish captain, said that every single crew member, from the chief mate to the cooks, has a designated role in an emergency on a cruise ship. The bridge section, however, appeared to have collapsed, leaving a field of debris on the sand below. 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? The ship ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people. Steve said, We had to hold onto the anchor line with all our strength. He said the export to the electric generators had been opened by a surge and water was pouring in. Some consider them to be dangerous deviations from planned routes. 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. Outwardly, Smith seems to have kept up a brave front, appearing captain-like to the last, at least to most observers. "A lot of this is candidly still more lore than law," says Miller Shealy, a maritime law professor at the Charleston School of Law. The waves reached 14 meters. "It is not just unseemly for a captain to leave a ship," Shealy says. A very small loss of hull integrity caused a storage tank in the lower machine spaces to fill with sea water. 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. Yiannis Avranas - Wikipedia I knew then we were soon going.. Has the old idea that captains should not abandon ship itself been abandoned? The ship was built in France and owned by a Greek cruise ship company. 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. Abandonment is for everybody, if some people want to stay, they can stay. The Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew, slammed into a reef on Friday, after Schettino made an unauthorized maneuver. [2] Usually, there would have been a "sail-away" party on deck. In the time of need, however, the crew found that everything was useless. The ocean had reached the point where the sea was 81 meters deep. The generators had been shorted, and the supply of power to the engines had been severed. Christos Nikolaou did not know what was said about him and his colleagues at the time. [9][11][16][17] Avranas's emergency management was again widely cited after the Costa Concordia disaster in 2012. "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. The lights went out and the ship got an unusual inclination, but none of the crew advised us, he says in telephone communication from Ireland. The Concordia was supposed to take passengers on a seven-day Italian cruise from Civitavecchia to Savona. Several witnesses claimed to have seen him in the water. Epirotiki Line. In August 2005, a Titanic wreckage expedition found two large, extraordinarily well-preserved sections of the bottom of the ship's hull. If some people like to stay, they can stay. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. What happened to the captain and crew of the Oceanos? South Korean authorities have arrested Capt. The function of a rebreather is to re-circulate the unused oxygen in the exhaled breath whilst scrubbing it of all traces of carbon dioxide. Greek Captain Criticized For Leaving Ship Early - New York Times He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. I wouldnt recommend this wreck to anyone but the best technical divers who really know what theyre doing.. Allen dismissed that idea, saying the captain's knowledge of his ship is crucial in an emergency. The ship underwent several name changes, including Mykinai, Ancona, Eastern Princess, and finally, in 1976, under the . "I'm kind of flummoxed that a master of a passenger ship anywhere in the world would not understand his obligation extends until that last person is safely off the ship," says Craig Allen, director of the Arctic Law & Policy Institute at the University of Washington. The Oceanos crew was referred to disciplinary inspection for withdrawal of diploma or grade, but they were all acquitted.. As soon as we reached seven degrees, we decided to lower the boats and start evacuation. After the sinking, Avranas attracted extensive media coverage, often being vilified and used as an example of poor professional behaviour while in command. The sinking of Oceanos. CASE STUDY: SINKING OF THE OCEANOS The South African coast is well 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. (Schettino insisted the ship sailed close to shore to salute other mariners and give passengers a good view.) Video: One Guy Saved 600 Passengers When the Captain Abandoned Them With holes in its walls, loose hull plates, and missing parts that control the flow of water, it looked pretty neglected. 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. Whilst laying the anchor line on the Oceanos that day, the boats remained almost stationary as the opposing forces of wind and current battled against each other for ascendancy. From Times Wire Services. The unethical, unprofessional prick are working as a Captain of a ferry in Greece. 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. In between, however, the first engineer was terrified. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. It is believed[by whom?] READ MORE: Why Nobody Remembers America's Worst Maritime Disaster.
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