What happened to the captain and crew of the Oceanos? On the front page was a Kostas Mitropoulos cartoon that lampooned the Captain, it read: Where to take you captain?the helicopter pilot asked him as he rescued him from the sinking ship named Ocean of failures. 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? International standards for sea captains vary. How does the braking system work in a car? Meanwhile, he told the ships two wireless operators to get ready to transmit distress signals. On 3 August 1991, the Oceanos - initially delayed due to a bomb threat - set out from East London, South Africa and headed for Durban.Captain Yiannis Avranas (born ca. The most famous, perhaps, is the captain of the Titanic, E.J. There was no reply to either. The Story Of The Oceanos - YouTube [4] Boltman told a newspaper: "Later in the morning, Captain Avarnasi (sic) even contacted me from shore to ask how things were going. What happened to the captain and crew of the Oceanos? 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 MV Oceanos was a 153 meter passenger ship, built in 1952 and designed to carry 550 passengers and 250 crew. 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. ":rolleyes: I don't know what ever happened to him. At about 15:30 the following day, the Oceanos could hold her head up no longer and sank. Ten minutes later, by the surviving operators estimate, he returned and gave them the order to send out a CQD, the universal distress call that was soon replaced with an SOS. It is believed[by whom?] 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. On August 7, a news report emerged with the title: Battle for the critical hours . Smith now knew the Titanic was doomed. Technical diving is an exact science, and every member of the team performed their tasks with efficiency and focus. We were crazy to do that dive.. It was as if the Wild Coast had been tranquilized by a hunters dart. (Schettino insisted the ship sailed close to shore to salute other mariners and give passengers a good view.) Many scenarios have been done, my brother. All Rights Reserved. "If you are leader, you have responsibility for your people, they put their lives in your hands.". A little more than an hour after impact, the crew began to evacuate the ship. He remains incarcerated in a prison just outside of Rome, where he is expected to stay until he is around 80 years old. "It's a matter of honor that the master is the last to leave. A very small loss of hull integrity caused a storage tank in the lower machine spaces to fill with sea water. We meet him in Piraeus, where he lives after his retirement. Chopper pilot, Ian Osborne, lifted his Alouette helicopter into the air en route to the wreck site. She came to rest on her starboard side almost perpendicular to the coastline, with her bow facing seaward. 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. Follow her on Twitter at @MsBeckyLittle. He didnt give up though. An iceberg, sir, First Officer William Murdoch replied. 2012 The Associated Press. Heres some good live video when it happened!!! Does anyone know of the current whereabouts of former Captain Yiannis Avranas of the doomed Oceanos? 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. Smith's body was never recovered, and his final moments remain a mysterywith no shortage of conflicting accounts. 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.). As soon as we reached seven degrees, we decided to lower the boats and start evacuation. What Happened to the Cruise Ship Oceanos? - LuxuryTravelDiva It was abject cowardice.". "I can't lift my face before the passengers and family members of those missing," Lee told reporters. Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images 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. 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. 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. Then 15 minutes later, the bubbles returned, and there was a sigh of relief. 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. A 2:20 a.m., the last portion of the Titanic disappeared between the waves. Barry, Brett, and Paul disappeared below the surface. 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? On 3 August 1991, the Oceanos set out from East London, South Africa and headed to Durban. How did the Oceanos go into the sea? . If some people like to stay, they can stay. What Happened to the Captain of the Cruise Ship Oceanos? [citation needed]. 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. Barry and Paul were on closed-circuit rebreathers, a Buddy Inspiration rebreather, and a CIS-Lunar MK5P rebreather, respectively. He was never incarcerated and Epirotiki gave him command of a ferry until his retirement. 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 ship was left adrift. 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. After more than three hours in the water, they were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. Arriving at the dive site, the team was amazed by the conditions. There were 200 sailors on the ship as crew members. [7][failed verification] The NPR radio show and podcast Snap Judgment featured an account of the sinking by Moss Hills. . Think of Bligh, or Queeg, or the autocratic captains who drive many of the novels and stories of Herman Melville. The Costa Concordia Disaster: How Human Error Made It Worse - History From mariners on ships plying the world's oceans, the answer is loud and clear: Aye. Unfortunately, conditions did not live up to expectations. They began launching the remaining lifeboats, with up to 90 people in each, but were unable to start their engines. This statement has placed the 51-year-old . The image of a captain staying with a sinking vessel has recurred again and again, in literature and real life. The captain of the Oceanos was alerted to the problem after receiving reports of water entering some of the cabins on board. [3] He was quoted soon after the sinking as saying, "When I order abandon the ship, it doesn't matter what time I leave. The impact damaged the ship, allowing water to seep in and putting the 4,229 people on board in danger. However, an Italian naval admiral testified in court that even though the helmsman was late in executing the captains orders, the crash wouldve happened anyway. (The helmsman was one of the four crew members convicted in court for contributing to the disaster. Schettino also didnt immediately alert the Italian Search and Rescue Authority about the accident. Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos. Spouse. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. In the British and American inquiries that followed, a more complicated picture emerged. For the mythological figure, see, "Owner of Lost Greek Cruise Ship Has History of Maritime Mishaps", "A Captain's Tale: 'The Rescue Was Perfect Everybody Is Safe', "Oceanos Captain Insisted On Early Rescue, Diver Says", "The guitarist who saved hundreds of people on a sinking cruise liner", "Hero plays music to calm terrified passengers", "South Africa probes cause of luxury liner's sinking", "The inimitable Alvon Collison, the wind beneath our wings", "Must a captain be the last one off a sinking ship? 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. 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. The sinking of Oceanos - NBC News 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. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Family members of passengers on a South Korean ferry that sank look at lists of survivors on Wednesday. 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. A more recent example is Robert Royer, the captain of a fishing vessel that sank off Alaska in 2010. Nearby vessels responded to the ships SOS and were the first to assist. STOCKHOLM - Seafaring tradition holds that the captain should be last to leave a sinking ship. hide caption. 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. 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. Oceanos shipwreck | Wild Coast All the while, the wind and swell were steadily dropping and, at 12:30, the decision to dive was made. But the report noted that some passengers testified that they didnt hear the alarm to proceed to the lifeboats. The captain still had some hope of averting total disaster. 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. "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. The captain went up to the third of these. The helicopter was used to survey conditions around the wreck that lies at a distance of 9.5km from Hole in the Wall. 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. Legal proceedings. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Usually, there would have been a "sail-away" party on deck with the ship's musicians and British . Captain of MTS Oceanos. But his or her responsibility extends to executing the evacuation plan that all passenger ships are required to have and practice. However, rough seas caused the party to be held inside in the Four Seasons lounge;[5] most passengers chose to stay in their cabins. THE GREATEST MARITIME RESCUE IN HISTORY OCEANOS - Africa Ports I would know him even without his beard.. 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. "[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 notorious master of the vessel was Captain Yiannis Avranas. Blowing in the same direction as the current, a strong northeasterly wind would slowly increase the rate of flow beyond that conducive for diving. In 1991, Yiannis Avranas, the captain of a Greek cruise liner, was also strongly criticised after leaving the ship as it started to sink off the South African coast. They understood their roles and contributed to the success of this dive. Captain Accused of Leaving Passengers on Sinking Ship ISSN 1469-865X | Copyright 1996 - 2022 deeperblue.net limited. Then, about two years ago, South African technical divers Barry Coleman and Brett Hawton decided it was time to revisit the Oceanos. Many famous naval disasters happen far out at sea, but on January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia wrecked just off the coast of an Italian island in relatively shallow water. The wind was still blowing, and large swells were visible on the horizon. He would attempt to sit there. 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. There was no stopping the flooding and no hope for the Oceanos sinking. Yiannis Avranas (born ca. The Oceanos crew was referred to disciplinary inspection for withdrawal of diploma or grade, but they were all acquitted.. It was also around 12:45 a.m. that crewmen lowered the first of the Titanics lifeboats to the ocean surface. It is this forward section of the wreck that incurred the wrath of the ocean floor as the bow slammed into the seabed. Edward J. Smith - Titanic, Facts & Death - Biography I will certainly avoid any Greek ferriesof course truth be known, I avoid all foreign ferries since I don't trust what they think an acceptable number of passengers is. The unfitted ventilation pipe was said to have left a 10cm hole in the watertight bulkhead between the generator and the sewerage tank. Fleeing in a lifeboat, they were told by the captain of a rescue ship to go back and help their passengers. [9][11][16][17] Avranas's emergency management was again widely cited after the Costa Concordia disaster in 2012. The British inquiry essentially exonerated him, saying he did nothing other captains wouldnt have done. 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. [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. Captains accused of leaving prematurely often claim they can manage the situation better from the safety of a lifeboat, rescue vessel or on shore. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison. 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 . Everyone who had been put into lifeboats was rescued by passing ships and remarkably no lives were lost. After ramming into the sea floor, the Oceanos slipped silently beneath the waves. Coast Guard to capt. 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. The storm worsened as the evening progressed and when the first sitting of dinner was served, the waiters could hardly carry the trays of food without dropping something. The ship was built in France and owned by a Greek cruise ship company. Although Smith had ordered the boats uncovered some 40 minutes earlier, he didnt give the order to begin loading and lowering them until Second Officer Charles Lightoller reminded him by asking, Hadnt we better get the women and children into the boats, sir?. [16][11][17][18] He stated that he left the ship first to arrange for a rescue effort, and then supervised the rescue from a helicopter because "the batteries on the crew's walkie-talkies had died, meaning that he had no communications with his crew or with other rescue craft". Evacuation was made even more chaotic by the ship listing so far to starboard, making walking inside very difficult and lowering the lifeboats on one side, near to impossible. In August 2005, a Titanic wreckage expedition found two large, extraordinarily well-preserved sections of the bottom of the ship's hull. Francesco Schettino had handed himself in to the Rebibbia prison in Rome after the verdict, his lawyer said. 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. At first it appeared as if Smiths luck was going to hold. Costa Concordia disaster | Collision, Rescue, Salvage, & Facts [2] Photographs taken in 2002 show that the bridge section has collapsed. The moment was immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as the "Birkenhead drill." The Oceanos lies at a depth between 92m and 97m, about 5km offshore, on the western edge of the mighty Agulhas current. The sinking of Oceanos. Brett was on twin set 36-litre open circuit back-gas, with two 12-liter side-mounted cylinders. The ships engineer reported to Captain Yiannis Avranias that water was entering the hull and flooding the generator room. When they bail early, everything falls apart. 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. What Was the Titanics Captain Doing While the Ship Sank. Receive the latest AI investment news, offers, and updates from Rebellion Research. No matter what time I leave. 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. Do you think anyone was weighing in the boats.. Greek Captain Criticized For Leaving Ship Early - New York Times The dive was aborted for the day. 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. A wide range of diverse considerations had to be taken care of, both personally and as a team. Avranas was charged with misconduct after it was discovered that he and numerous crew members left the ship while the passengers remained behind. And the second boat was only cooks. Costa Concordia disaster, the capsizing of an Italian cruise ship on January 13, 2012, after it struck rocks off the coast of Giglio Island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Most crew members left first with lifeboats . 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. At this stage, eyewitness accounts reveal that many of the crew, including Captain Avranas, were already packed and ready to depart. MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when she suffered uncontrolled flooding. The Concordia was supposed to take passengers on a seven-day Italian cruise from Civitavecchia to Savona. 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 ship ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people. 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. Captain Yiannis Avranas (born c. 1940) had been an officer for twenty years and a seaman for thirty. Passengers thought the captain had left the ship. "But that would come after the ship has been evacuated," he added. 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. "[5] Hills reportedly rescued Avranas' dog and released his canary. More than 4,200 people were rescued, though 32 people died. The American inquiry was only slightly harsher in its judgment. Captain Davina Avranas English wife aboard the ship with their daughter Faye. 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), 5 Maritime Disasters You Might Not Know About, Titanic By the Numbers: From Construction to Disaster to Discovery, Why Nobody Remembers America's Worst Maritime Disaster, https://www.history.com/news/costa-concordia-cruise-ship-disaster-sinking-captain, The Costa Concordia Disaster: How Human Error Made It Worse. [22] The show Extreme Weather: The Survivors featured a segment on the sinking. But the Carpathia was 58 milesor some four hoursaway. At six in the morning the helicopters appeared. "[12][13], Captain Alevizos Klaudatos, head of Epirotiki Line, was quoted in The Star as saying: "Of course the crew members assigned to the boats have to enter first in order to assist the embarkation of the passengers", "as regards the captain abandoning the vessel, this is untrue and he has maintained his position throughout in assisting the rescue in the most effective way".
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