WATCH: The greatest maritime rescue

Published Feb 26, 2017

Share

A passenger on the Oceanos waves to a rescue helicopter moments before the ship sank.

It is just over 25 years since what has been described as the greatest maritime rescue in modern history was effected.

The sea on the Transkei coastline is perilous, perhaps South Africa’s version of the Bermuda Triangle. Hundreds of ships have encountered problems in our coastal waters over the years, but a great many of those have experienced their darkest hours off the Transkei.

The fast-flowing Mozambique current heading south, severe winds blowing in the opposite direction and the 200 fathom line on the edge of the continental shelf conspire to create huge, sometimes freak waves that can immerse ships.

undefined

The MV Oceanos was a 153m passenger ship, built in 1952 and designed to carry 550 passengers and 250 crew. It was owned by Epirotiki Lines of Greece and chartered by a South African company, TFC Tours. The notorious master of the vessel was Captain Yiannis Avranas.

The Oceanos cruise liner begins sinking off the Wild Coast. More than 500 passengers and crew were saved.

The vessel had been plying the waters of the Indian Ocean during July and August 1991. It berthed in East London on August 2.

The next day the vessel’s departure for Durban was delayed because of terrible weather. Eventually, it set sail late in the afternoon, but passengers reported a terrible ordeal through their dinner, with plates flying off the tables and alarmingly mobile furniture. A number of entertainers were on board. Guitarist Moss Hills reported that about 8.45pm he saw crew handing out life jackets.

He went in search of the cruise director, Lorraine Betts who told him that the captain had told her there was engine trouble and they would have to abandon ship.

Meanwhile, the passengers had gathered in the ship’s lounge in anticipation of a 10pm show. Below deck water had started pouring in through the side of the ship from the sea chest (a water intake reservoir). It is believed that a freak wave had smashed into the vessel and a shell plate had fallen off, causing a massive leak.

The Oceanos cruise liner begins sinking off the Wild Coast.

Although no announcements to abandon ship were made and no alarms sounded, crew members were seen launching and jumping into lifeboats, so the ship ran out of lifeboats with about 200 passengers still on board.

At first light, 16 helicopters from 15th and 19th Squadron set off for the Wild Coast with Able Seaman Paul Whiley and other navy divers. They saw the ship listing at 30º to starboard and being battered by huge waves and a 60-knot wind.

The helicopters could not land on the ship, so they started loading passengers two by two into harnesses. As Whiley was helping passengers, Avranas showed up to board a helicopter.

When Whiley objected, the captain told him he was going to co-ordinate rescue efforts from the shore. So much for the captain goes down with his ship. When Whiley went through the vessel, looking for passengers, he noticed that all of the showers were running.

They continued loading passengers until the last one was evacuated. As Whiley boarded an overloaded helicopter, he watched the Oceanos tip on to its nose, topple and sink.

One passenger, Gale Adamson, walked off the MV Great Nancy carrying her 17-day-old child and accompanied by her other two children.

She told me that each had been placed in a bucket lowered to the lifeboat by the Chinese crew of the Great Nancy. Clothes were stuffed on top of them and the crew hauled each child up the side of the ship. Gale then had to climb a rope ladder in howling winds.

Investigations revealed that the crew had been working on a valve on the sewerage system when the water came in.

They sealed the engine room doors and fled, but knew that the water would flood the sewerage system and sink the ship. This was consistent with Whiley’s observation that the showers were running.

One clue that we kept hearing reported was a funny smell on board before the ship sank. We finally understood what everyone was smelling.

* Pike has written two books, People Risks: A people-based strategy for business success and The Talking Stick: Exploring Life’s Possibilities and has a weekly blog: www.andrewpikecoaching.com.

Weekend Argus

Related Topics: