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South Korean President: Actions of sunken ferry crew 'akin to murder'

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posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 12:13 AM
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Jindo, South Korea (CNN) -- The actions of the captain and crew of the sunken ferry Sewol "are akin to murder," South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Monday.

Her comments come after a radio transcript released a day earlier suggested that passengers aboard the doomed South Korean ferry couldn't reach lifeboats to escape because the ship tilted so quickly that it left many of them unable to move.
. . .

The captain has been charged with abandoning his boat, negligence, causing bodily injury, not seeking rescue from other ships and violating "seamen's law," state media reported.

South Korean President: Actions of sunken ferry crew 'akin to murder'

Well isn't this becoming an ugly one?

The story here seems pretty damning by what is being said thus far. The title, of course, is direct from the source and the source is no less than CNN for the quote. So, I'd say this is about as serious as it gets for something going wrong and negligence on a ship.

The story goes on to say that the Captain plotted the course then went to his cabin for something. A 3rd mate was at the helm, and she denies a hard turn while saying the steering 'turned harder than normal'. The Captain was also among the first rescued off his ship. That's apparently downright criminal and the combined charges are listed as carrying 5 years to Life depending on which convict.

The third mate is looking at negligence and injury leading to death while, for reasons not really explained, a technician is also mentioned as facing the same. Both are less than the Captain.

The latest numbers are 174 rescued, 64 recovered victims and 238 missing. (#'s from article) No rescues since it sank, but it says they still have 100 divers working the scene.

This is a true tragedy for all, and I hope everyone is recovered, at a minimum. I'll follow the story on accountability closely as well.



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 12:24 AM
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a reply to: Wrabbit2000

Be it for a number of reasons, not the least being I have Navy in my family: As soon as I heard the Captain was saved, I figured it would turn bad for him.

The Captain goes down with his ship, isn't a known statement for no reason.



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 12:32 AM
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a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Thanks for that. I guess I was just a bit surprised it was actual maritime law they could convict on. I'm very happy it IS, don't get me wrong.

I don't think a Captain need go down with his ship. That seems a little unrealistic to ask of modern man. Sad to say..but there it is. I DO think it's the very least the guy can do to be the LAST one off, on the last safe means of passage to get clear.



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 12:43 AM
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a reply to: Wrabbit2000

My take as one not enlisted, is just that. The last one off, the final responsibility. The hero to be, to be poetic.
To Captain a vessel is to take the responsibility of their life of everyone on board, for the time they are on board.



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 01:42 AM
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a reply to: Wrabbit2000

Not quite the way the story is unfolding over here in the Korean media. I don't watch CNN, but their facts seem to be coming out of left field.

Local news says the 'captain' was the very first guy rescued ... and that he tried to blend himself in with the nobodies instead of facing responsibility. The helmsman had never navigated those waters. The 'captain' wasn't the guy assigned to the boat. He's a retiree who was asked to stand-in when the boats skipper didn't show up.

The news said there was a hard turn, improperly secured and overloaded cargo shifted ... Initial reports made it sound like they hit something or ran aground, but the ship's sunk in 90 feet of water.

I think almost all of the crew got off.

One of the school administrators/chaperones who made it off has hung himself in shame.

It took 31 minutes for the ship to list to a point where people couldn't get out of the cabins the captain ordered them into. Not one lifeboat was launched.

There are ~400 divers working shifts recovering bodies. Diving conditions off the west coast are abysmal. No visibility, cold, current, surge, and depth are eating away at time. The divers are limited to 25 minutes of bottom-time and a 24 hour recovery period.

The worst: The common jackals trying to capitalize on a tragedy are preying on the victims families ... while the opposing political party rhetoric casts doubt on the efficiency of the government's efforts.



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 01:48 AM
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a reply to: Snarl

Have you considered starting a thread as a local perspective and news source? I know from previous threads that you're local to that general area and given the downright grand canyon of space between what CNN (and others at the moment) are reporting for details...it sounds like your input from the local reporting would be really valuable.

Just a thought, since this story actually doesn't seem to be heavily covered here right now. Especially given the really bad details that are coming to be known. How horrible to imagine for the kids.



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 01:53 AM
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a reply to: Wrabbit2000
So - the Captain (stand-in, albeit) decides - "I'll do everything possible to go home to my family... Everyone Else is on their own! Good Luck. Bye!"
Sorry if this seems 'detracting', but, that sounds a lot like the current motto of American law enforcement to me.



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 01:58 AM
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a reply to: Wrabbit2000

I did, but I don't think I could maintain objectivity. This is a pretty emotional event at the moment and it's hard for me to get developing facts from my wife between sobs. I actually told her to turn off the news when I went to work this a.m.



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 03:00 AM
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Whilst I am sure the Captain does bear some responsibility ( as you'd expect), I think the comments from the SK President and other's are not exactly guaranteeing a fair, impartial investigation or any possible trials. It certainly seems they are pre-judging everything without being in possession of all the facts.

I agree that it is a bit silly to expect a Captain to go down with his ship, but at the least he should try and get everyone off and be amongst the last off.

I am curious, is this ferry a ro-ro? If so, how old was it? If bow doors are sealed properly, or vehicles become loose in the hold and crash into the doors, these types of ships can list then sink like a stone. More modern ones have had saftey improvements, especially in Europe after the MS Estonia sinking, which claimed over 800 lives



posted on Apr, 21 2014 @ 03:27 AM
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as someone who has piloted both goods and people commercially, albeit on a much smaller scale, I have to say there is a certain responsibility morally and legally for the captain to put the safety of the passengers above all other considerations
especially children.

if there isn't law, there will certainly be law suits

who knows:
the problems sometimes go much further up the tree then the captain..
to construction, maintenance, and corporate and governmental inspection.
edit on Monam4b20144America/Chicago58 by Danbones because: (no reason given)




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