What is glucosamine and fish oil good for? TRY ASKING HOST DOUGhe usually knows those things. At about 15:30 the following day, the Oceanos could hold her head up no longer and sank. The Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people. All Rights Reserved. Four months later, on December 23, Rehan Bouwer, Steve Minne, Johan Swart, Ian Symington, and Nicko Brand returned to the Oceanos. Several of the ship's crew, notably Capt. The sinking is the subject of a song called "Oceanos" by Celtic rock band Coast. Creating equal decompression profiles for the two systems was a difficult task for Barry that took many hours of calculation. Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features. Captain Yiannis Avranas told reporters in Durban that he did not desert the ship but left to coordinate rescue efforts from shore. Although only three divers made it to the wreck, it was the role of each team member that made it possible. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, newspapers cast Smith as a hero, the brave captain who went down with his ship. The wind was still blowing, and large swells were visible on the horizon. 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. [2] Photographs taken in 2002 show that the bridge section has collapsed. A captain and his crew needlessly endangered the lives of those on board. Passengers thought the captain had left the ship. On one occasion the 200-liter drum we used as a marker buoy was pulled down to 34m by the current. The unethical, unprofessional prick are working as a Captain of a ferry in Greece. -. Does anyone know of the current whereabouts of former Captain Yiannis Avranas of the doomed Oceanos? 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. "If you are leader, you have responsibility for your people, they put their lives in your hands.". The Greek government is not doing anything about the incident. Maritime experts say such manifestations of courage at sea far outnumber incidents in which captains saved themselves and left their passengers behind. Whether or not Captain Francesco Schettino was trying to impress his girlfriend is debatable. 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. We strive for accuracy and fairness. In Greece the case was referred to the High Council of Maritime Accidents of the Ministry of Maritime. Francesco Schettino, accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and of abandoning his crippled cruise ship off Tuscany while passengers were still on board. After twenty-seven minutes at 90m and thirty-four minutes on run time, an orange submersible marker buoy broke the surface, and the deep-water back divers bailed into the water. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. With hundreds of people on board, the ship springs a leak, then . The ship underwent several name changes, including Mykinai, Ancona, Eastern Princess, and finally, in 1976, under the ownership of Pontos Nav SA, she was registered in Piraeus, Greece, under the name of SS Oceanos. Heres some good live video when it happened!!! 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. 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. It was an event that ended with the sinking of a family cruise shi. The ship underwent several name changes, including Mykinai, Ancona, Eastern Princess, and finally, in 1976, under the . Is the Oceanos still at the bottom of the ocean? But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! 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. What happened to the cruise ship Oceanos? Other information if you google or youtube it. Seamen have expressed almost universal outrage at Capt. 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. Only entertainment staff, singers and waiters helped us later. ), READ MORE: Titanic By the Numbers: From Construction to Disaster to Discovery. The ship they spotted in the distance didnt answer, but several others did. Arriving at the dive site, the team was amazed by the conditions. "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. Coast Guard to capt. This day turned out much better than expected. The divers descended the anchor line and were able to return to it some twenty minutes later, after making their way around most of this 152 m wreck. There was no stopping the flooding and no hope for the Oceanos sinking. Must a captain be the last one off a sinking ship? - BBC News Davina Avrana. [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. The impact damaged the ship, allowing water to seep in and putting the 4,229 people on board in danger. "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.". [5] They used the radio phone to broadcast a mayday distress call until Moss received a response.[7]. [citation needed], Once the engines stopped, the ship began to roll so badly that in the lounge, which is where the passengers had gathered, crockery and cutlery began sliding off the tables and potted plants fell over. Video: One Guy Saved 600 Passengers When the Captain Abandoned Them Yiannis Avranas (born ca. 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. The ship was left adrift. For a moment, they disappeared where had the bubbles gone? Once complete, the team focused on preparing for the dives. The unfitted ventilation pipe was said to have left a 10cm hole in the watertight bulkhead between the generator and the sewerage tank. From mariners on ships plying the world's oceans, the answer is loud and clear: Aye. He would attempt to sit there. REBELLION RESEARCH ADVISORS, L.P. IS A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISER AND NOT FOR PROFIT EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH THINK TANK. I am on business., Pryal said he trailed Smith to a train station. 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. 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.). Sinking of Oceanos : Survivor's Accounts - Rebellion Research [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. The Story Of The Oceanos - YouTube 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. He was never incarcerated and Epirotiki gave him command of a ferry until his retirement. 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. I knew then we were soon going.. "Shoreside rescue people can do all the shoreside coordination efforts needed," he said. Jean Laborde went through many different owners and name changes (Jean Laborde, Mykinai, Ancona, Eastern Princess) in the succeeding decades. None of the 571 passengers drowned. [3] He was quoted soon after the sinking as saying, "When I order abandon the ship, it doesn't matter what time I leave. He immediately ordered an evacuation of all passengers and crew. Will this discovery change our understanding of Titanic's final moments? On schedule, the shallow-water backup team left the boat and descended toward the decompressing divers. Royer, however, died after suffering a head injury when he finally left the ship. 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. INVESTMENTS INVOLVE RISK AND UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, ARE NOT GUARANTEED. 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. Powered by Invision Community. The sinking of Oceanos. 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. The image of a captain staying with a sinking vessel has recurred again and again, in literature and real life. What happened to the captain of the Oceanos? - Sage-Advices [citation needed] An inflatable had to be launched to rescue some passengers who panicked and jumped into the water. Although Barry, Paul, and Brett would dive to the Oceanos as a team, they were all on different equipment. Ralph White/Corbis/Getty Images. But witnesses said he appeared on the bridge of the Titanic just moments later, asking what the storied ship, making its maiden voyage across the Atlantic, had struck. The Worst Christmas Story Ever: The Sinking of SS Leopoldville on 24 December 1944, How AI is Transforming Personal and Professional Investing, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, UC Berkeleys Financial Innovation Conference, Why did Titanic Sink : A Scientific Analysis. [3] Entertainment manager Robin Boltman was credited with gathering the passengers in the lounge and playing music to calm them. Making the most of the break, the team took some time out from the daily diving routine to explore the remarkable area with its beautiful landscapes and majestic sea views. Captains accused of leaving prematurely often claim they can manage the situation better from the safety of a lifeboat, rescue vessel or on shore. The day of the first dive had dawned. 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. 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. In between, however, the first engineer was terrified. Havent you forgotten, sir, that all those glass windows are closed? a passenger gently reminded him. Stranger still are several widely publicized reports that he didnt die at all. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The South African Navy and Air Force launched a massive seven-hour mission in which 16 helicopters were used to airlift the remainder of the passengers and crew to the nearby settlements of The Haven and Hole in the Wall, about 10km south of Coffee Bay. How does the braking system work in a car? What happened to the captain and crew of the Oceanos? Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images Video footage shows their progress as pale rays of sunlight filtered through the corridor windows, throwing subtle illuminations across the dark interior. The Oceanos had been on its usual route along the South African coast when it encountered heavy rains and gale-force winds. WE ARE ALLOWED TO DO BUSINESS IN NEW YORK, TEXAS AND KENTUCKY ALONG WITH OTHER STATES WHERE WE ARE REGISTERED, EXEMPTED OR EXCLUDED FROM REGISTRATION. The water steadily rose and flowed through the 10 cm hole in the bulkhead and into the waste disposal tank. "Ahab is a great example in the sense that he knows a captain should go down with his ship," says Wyn Kelley, a Melville scholar at MIT. "It is not just unseemly for a captain to leave a ship," Shealy says. 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. 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. The weather conditions became so severe that Avranas determined it best to abandon ship and hope for rescue from nearby vessels or helicopters. Within eight minutes I closed the waterproof doors. It is this forward section of the wreck that incurred the wrath of the ocean floor as the bow slammed into the seabed. When the team arrived at the wreck marker buoys, it was evident that the current was almost non-existent and the wind and swell had all but disappeared. Some consider them to be dangerous deviations from planned routes. Midday, the sea spills over the bow of Oceanos. 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. Passengers remained ignorant of the events taking place until they witnessed the first signs of flooding in the lower decks. The Greek government is not doing anything about the incident. After five days of staying at the hotel, the other Greek sailors with the assistance of the Greek consular authorities also escaped. For many years, seasoned technical diver, Barry Coleman, has had one consuming desire: to dive the Oceanos. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Captain Yiannis Avranas who left passengers to die? 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. The captain still had some hope of averting total disaster. Share; Posted May 23, 2010. Two more were added to these later. After ramming into the sea floor, the Oceanos slipped silently beneath the waves. Industries; War and Militaries; 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. (Schettino insisted the ship sailed close to shore to salute other mariners and give passengers a good view.) For a villain, there was J. Bruce Ismay, the White Star chairman, who got off in a lifeboat and was accused of pressuring Smith to maintain a reckless speed. 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. ":rolleyes: I don't know what ever happened to him. NAVY DIVER SAYS OCEANOS CAPTAIN DEMANDED TO BE ONE OF FIRST RESCUED. 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Smith, who evacuated the ship women and children first until there were no lifeboats left, and then perished with it. As in August, throughout the two-week period of the expedition, they only managed to reach the wreck on two occasions with a maximum bottom time of eight minutes. A little more than an hour after impact, the crew began to evacuate the ship. [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. MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when she suffered uncontrolled flooding. 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. Its captain was accused of manslaughter and abandoning the 4,200 passengers and crew on the night of the wreck. 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. It's shameful. The Oceanos crew was referred to disciplinary inspection for withdrawal of diploma or grade, but they were all acquitted.. Most have heard the story, the sinking of the OCEANOS with 571 passengers and crew on board, none of whom suffered . 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. Abandonment is for everybody, if some people want to stay, they can stay. "When they go bad, they're evil," Shealy says. Known for. Brett and Paul penetrated the portside corridor behind the on-deck pool while Barry singularly explored the large dining hall area. 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. South Africa probes cause of luxury liner's sinking 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. [9], A Greek board of inquiry found Avranas and four officers negligent in their handling of the disaster. 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. is University of Washington a good school. On August 7, a news report emerged with the title: Battle for the critical hours . Michael O Mahoney, a passenger remembers at least 30 crew members got on the first boat, while the captain left on a helicopter while passengers were still on deck. At sea he had no kindness. If some people like to stay, they can stay. 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. In a matter of hours, more than 1,500 passengers and crew would be dead, including Smith himself. No one knows exactly where Captain E.J. In the time of need, however, the crew found that everything was useless. The American inquiry was only slightly harsher in its judgment. [3][4] Oceanos headed into 40-knot winds and 9m (30ft) swells. The Costa Concordia, carrying more than 4,200 passengers and crew, slammed into a reef on Friday, after Schettino made an unauthorized maneuver. Many scenarios have been done, my brother. The moment was immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as the "Birkenhead drill." Even before the journey started, the ship had already started to wear. The Oceanos arrived in South Africa in 1991. 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. No one knows exactly where Captain E.J. 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. What happened to the captain of the Costa Concordia? Passengers remained ignorant of the events until they witnessed the first signs of flooding on the lower decks. In the British and American inquiries that followed, a more complicated picture emerged. All Rights Reserved. Here's why and how the Oceanos sank off the Wild Coast - PressReader [16] A South African Navy Diver testified that the captain had insisted on being taken ashore by the first helicopter. Abandon is for everybody. On August 3, 1991, Oceanos set sail for East London, South Africa and headed north for Durban, led by Captain Yiannis Avranas. Special Section: Italian Cruise DisasterCruise ship to port: It's just a blackoutPressure mounts on cruise ship divers. The international and some Greek media condemned the attitude of Captain Yiannis Avranas. It was as if the Wild Coast had been tranquilized by a hunters dart. But whatever relief Smith might have felt at that moment was quickly shattered. 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. Smiths final moments arent definitively known, but reports varied widely. I have made a mess and practically the whole ship is flooding, Schettino told Ferrarini while the ship was sinking. In 1965, the captain and several other crew members were among the first to abandon ship after the Yarmouth Castle caught fire and started sinking off the Bahamas, killing 90. "[9] They were among the last to be rescued. The bridge section, however, appeared to have collapsed, leaving a field of debris on the sand below. The Italian captain went back onboard the wreck for the first time since the sinking of the cruise ship on January 13, 2012, as part of his trial for manslaughter and abandoning ship. Should oxygen levels drop below those required by the diver, O2 can be computationally or manually injected into the system from an onboard cylinder to replenish the supply. But the report noted that some passengers testified that they didnt hear the alarm to proceed to the lifeboats. Bubbles moved toward the stern and then back again to amidships. Must a captain be the last one off a sinking ship? / Updated May 22, 2010 / 12:42 PM PDT 20 PHOTOS . The generators had been shorted, and the supply of power to the engines had been severed. 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. What happened to the crew and captain? In 1994, his English wife Davina published a book about . A more recent example is Robert Royer, the captain of a fishing vessel that sank off Alaska in 2010. Best Known For: Captain Edward J. Smith played a role in one of the most famous disasters at sea in history, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The weather forecast was predicting a strong northeasterly wind by morning, a factor that could easily mean the end of the expedition. Barry Coleman and the team have accomplished is an amazing feat they have succeeded in conducting two fully controlled dives on the Oceanos. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. According to Boltman, "later in the morning, Captain Avarnasi [sic] even contacted me from shore to ask how things were going. Brodersen, 60, said he never had to deal with that kind of situation, but he has sometimes thought about his own limit, when his survival instinct would trump the hope of salvaging a doomed ship. "It is my responsibility. South Korean authorities have arrested Capt. Oceanos headed into 40-knot winds and 9 m (30 ft) swells. 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. Maritime law - DW - 01/19/2012 "In this case there was more than enough time for the moment of panic to pass. In addition to Schettino, Ferrarini and Rusli Bin, the other people who received convictions for their role in the disaster were Cabin Service Director Manrico Giampedroni, First Officer Ciro Ambrosio and Third Officer Silvia Coronica. Having reached the limit of Bretts safe air supply and time underwater, the divers returned to the anchor line to begin their ascent. All three divers were ecstatic and eager to make the most of the prevailing conditions; the second dive was scheduled for the following day. Then he returned and oversaw the operation from the air. Diesel, emanating from the wreck for nearly 12 years, was visible around the marker buoy an indication that the entire water column lay still. Some countries, like Italy, have included it in national laws. 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. Chopper pilot, Ian Osborne, lifted his Alouette helicopter into the air en route to the wreck site. Once the profiles were eventually worked out, all preparations were complete; it was time for the real thing. 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.