MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when she suffered uncontrolled flooding. I sure hope he's no longer a ship's captain anywhere! 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. 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 . 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. Think of Bligh, or Queeg, or the autocratic captains who drive many of the novels and stories of Herman Melville. 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. 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. Several of the ship's crew, notably Capt. All 571 people on board were saved, following one of the worlds most dramatic and successful rescue operations of its kind. 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. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Captain Yiannis Avranas who left passengers to die? International standards for sea captains vary. (Reuter) | Aug 07, 1991 8:00PM EDT. 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. He remains incarcerated in a prison just outside of Rome, where he is expected to stay until he is around 80 years old. NAVY DIVER SAYS OCEANOS CAPTAIN DEMANDED TO BE ONE OF FIRST RESCUED. 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. 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. Maritime experts say such manifestations of courage at sea far outnumber incidents in which captains saved themselves and left their passengers behind. For many years, seasoned technical diver, Barry Coleman, has had one consuming desire: to dive the Oceanos. Before the sailing they were given for inspection. Arriving at the dive site, the team was amazed by the conditions. But the Carpathia was 58 milesor some four hoursaway. Francesco Schettino Sparks Outrage". Video footage shows their progress as pale rays of sunlight filtered through the corridor windows, throwing subtle illuminations across the dark interior. 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. Barry, Brett, and Paul disappeared below the surface. Outwardly, Smith seems to have kept up a brave front, appearing captain-like to the last, at least to most observers. "In Anglo-American law, you would lose your license and make yourself liable.". 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. It was as if the Wild Coast had been tranquilized by a hunters dart. Usually, there would have been a "sail-away" party on deck with the ship's musicians and British . A 2:20 a.m., the last portion of the Titanic disappeared between the waves. On one occasion the 200-liter drum we used as a marker buoy was pulled down to 34m by the current. WATCH: Full episodes of When Big Things Go Wrong online now. Although Barry, Paul, and Brett would dive to the Oceanos as a team, they were all on different equipment. "His duty as the highest authority available short of God himself was to make sure his crew was safe before he left the ship," says Craig Symonds, a retired Naval Academy historian. Coast Guard to capt. He and fellow entertainer Julian Butler[8] directed the efforts of the entertainment staff - including Robin Boltman - to assist them. 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. 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. An iceberg, sir, First Officer William Murdoch replied. 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. In 2022, Moss Hills who later became a cruise director was interviewed by Jane Garvey for BBC Radio 4's series Life Changing. The international and some Greek media condemned the attitude of Captain Yiannis Avranas. Captain Yiannis Avranas told reporters in Durban that he did not desert the ship but left to coordinate rescue efforts from shore. 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. But in interviews, Captain Avranas was unapologetic for leaving the ship ahead of others, saying he was better able to direct rescue efforts from shore. Yiannis Avranas (born ca. The bridge section, however, appeared to have collapsed, leaving a field of debris on the sand below. I never saw the captain among us helping, he says.. On schedule, the shallow-water backup team left the boat and descended toward the decompressing divers. He is being held in house arrest as prosecutors prepare criminal charges. There were also 12 inflatable rescue media on the cruise ship. 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. [5][23][24], The Oceanos wreck lies at a depth of between 92m (302ft) and 97m (318ft), about 5km (3.1mi) offshore. It is believed[by whom?] The Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people. But the report noted that some passengers testified that they didnt hear the alarm to proceed to the lifeboats. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWGXa8QivR4. The waves reached 14 meters. [15], Prior to the events of January 1991, Avranas had apparently given no interview to the media. From mariners on ships plying the world's oceans, the answer is loud and clear: Aye. Sometimes we were almost horizontal going down. There is some film on YOUTUBE showing the sinking of the Oceanos. "Abandon is for everybody. He made the wrong choice. 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. MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when it suffered uncontrolled flooding.MTS Oceanos. In an account attributed to Titanic fireman Harry Senior, Smith jumped off the ship with an infant clutched tenderly in his arms, swam to a nearby lifeboat, handed off the child and swam back toward the Titanic, saying, I will follow the ship.. [citation needed]. It was owned by Epirotiki Lines of Greece and chartered at the time by a South African company, TFC Tours. The dive was aborted for the day. After more than three hours in the water, they were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Francesco Schettino, accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and of abandoning his crippled cruise ship off Tuscany while passengers were still on board. "[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. 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 . 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 Oceanos lies at a depth between 92m and 97m, about 5km offshore, on the western edge of the mighty Agulhas current. Smith was at 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, 1912. [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. / Updated May 22, 2010 / 12:42 PM PDT 20 PHOTOS . A South African navy diver said the captain of the sunken Greek liner Oceanos pushed past elderly pa. 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. All the while, the wind and swell were steadily dropping and, at 12:30, the decision to dive was made. The chief engineer reported to Captain Avranas that water was entering the hull and flooding the generator room. South Korean authorities have arrested Capt. As soon as we reached seven degrees, we decided to lower the boats and start evacuation. Do you think anyone was weighing in the boats.. Through the confusion,the captain somehow made it into a lifeboat before everyone else had made it off. What happened to the cruise ship Oceanos? Industries; War and Militaries; 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. 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. 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. [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". 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. He was never incarcerated and Epirotiki gave him command of a ferry until his retirement. 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. Smith was at 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, April 14, 1912. 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. MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991. Even if he's not convicted, it is highly unlikely that he'll ever command a cruise or cargo ship again because of the damage to his reputation, said Prof. Craig Allen of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. 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? MTS Oceanos was a French-built and Greek-owned cruise ship that sank in 1991 when it suffered uncontrolled flooding.MTS Oceanos. Christos Nikolaou did not know what was said about him and his colleagues at the time. IIRC his response to being in a life boat was, "he was oraganizing the rescue effort! Barry and Paul were on closed-circuit rebreathers, a Buddy Inspiration rebreather, and a CIS-Lunar MK5P rebreather, respectively. Oceanos was very poorly maintained while simultaneously operating in one of the most dangerous and rough areas of the oceans. All Rights Reserved. [7][failed verification] The NPR radio show and podcast Snap Judgment featured an account of the sinking by Moss Hills. Nobody cared until that time if those who left on the boats were alive. It was also around 12:45 a.m. that crewmen lowered the first of the Titanics lifeboats to the ocean surface. He hit the bottom, got back up, side of the fault and was swallowed by the sea forever.. The ship was built in France and owned by a Greek cruise ship company. In 1994, his English wife Davina published a book about the sinking, titled The Oceanos Tragedy. [4] Boltman told a newspaper: "Later in the morning, Captain Avarnasi (sic) even contacted me from shore to ask how things were going. Now he was about to preside over one of the worst sea disasters of all time. That was one of several incidents that have led some historians to question whether Smith had gone into a state of shock. He immediately ordered an evacuation of all passengers and crew. The international and some Greek media condemned the attitude of Captain Yiannis Avranas. I would avoid any cruise that involves a Greek ship! If some people like to stay, they can stay.". 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. Powered by Invision Community. In 1991, Capt. When they bail early, everything falls apart. 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 captain called the men to attention," says William Fowler, a maritime historian at Northeastern University. The incident came two years after Francesco Schettino, the captain of the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia, was charged with manslaughter and abandoning ship charges he denies. "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. http://www.aolvideoblog.com/2007/08/21/crew-bails-on-passengers-of-sinking-cruise-liner/. The technology means that the rebreather diver uses significantly less gas, has reduced nitrogen uptake, and subsequently fewer decompression requirements. He said he supervised the . Passengers remained ignorant of the events taking place until they witnessed the first signs of flooding in the lower decks. The expedition required diligent and intense preparation. Two small ships in the vicinity were first on the scene, and provided the ship's coordinates to the South African authorities. Several estimated it was no more than five miles away. 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. Ralph White/Corbis/Getty Images. By This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. The Oceanos lost power following a leak in the engine room's sea chest. 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. A very small loss of hull integrity caused a storage tank in the lower machine spaces to fill with sea water. There was no stopping the flooding and no hope for the Oceanos sinking. The weather conditions became so severe that Avranas determined it best to abandon ship and hope for rescue from nearby vessels or helicopters. [1] He was married to British national Davina Avrana.[3]. Does anyone know of the current whereabouts of former Captain Yiannis Avranas of the doomed Oceanos? [5] They used the radio phone to broadcast a mayday distress call until Moss received a response.[7]. Cowardice comes in many forms, but there's a special sense of shame reserved for captains who abandon ship. Various factors affect the flow rate of the current including pressure systems, the position of flow, coastal-trapped waves, and wind. In an interview with the captain, he jokingly remarked that if the ship should sink, he would be on the first lifeboat off the ship. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Then he returned and oversaw the operation from the air. Francesco Schettino Sparks Outrage", "Revisiting the sinking of Oceanos part 1:Heroic Rescue Effort Saves 571", Down With The Ship NPR Snap Judgement episode #726, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MTS_Oceanos&oldid=1151622929, Sunk by uncontrolled flooding on 4 August 1991 off the coast of, This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 05:19. This is an amazing story -- if they're doing a new story maybe something new has happened -- like maybe the captain will finally be . ), READ MORE: Titanic By the Numbers: From Construction to Disaster to Discovery. / AP. 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. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. ", "Costa Concordia Tragedy: Capt. Once the profiles were eventually worked out, all preparations were complete; it was time for the real thing. 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. Several witnesses claimed to have seen him in the water. [5] The final minutes of her sinking were captured on video and broadcast by ABC News. "It's a matter of honor that the master is the last to leave. Sunk by uncontrolled flooding on 4 August 1991 off the coast of South Africa. On August 7, a news report emerged with the title: Battle for the critical hours . 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. 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. Chopper pilot, Ian Osborne, lifted his Alouette helicopter into the air en route to the wreck site. At sea, there's no question about who's in charge, so there's no doubt who is responsible for safety. No alarm was raised. The captain broadcasted a distress signal as he tried to steer the ship towards shore in order for rescuers to reach them. Captain of MTS Oceanos. 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. The unethical, unprofessional prick are working as a Captain of a ferry in Greece. In August 2005, a Titanic wreckage expedition found two large, extraordinarily well-preserved sections of the bottom of the ship's hull. Edward Smith went down with the Titanic, the notion that a captain must stay with his ship became part of folklore. This statement has placed the 51-year-old . ":rolleyes: I don't know what ever happened to him. But witnesses said he appeared on the bridge of the Titanic just moments . 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. 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. 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. [citation needed], While trying to make up lost time, Oceanos encountered rough seas. 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. With holes in its walls, loose hull plates, and missing parts that control the flow of water, it looked pretty neglected. Yiannis Avranas (born ca. At six in the morning the helicopters appeared. 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. 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 American inquiry was only slightly harsher in its judgment. 2012 The Associated Press. But the weather was so bad that the helicopter crew advised against boarding".
Twitch Los Angeles Office Location,
Top 5 Most Accurate Bible Translations,
Articles W