What happens if a captain abandons ship

Her captain, Capitano di Corvetta Lorenzo Bezzi, determined that the submarine was unable to flee nor fight the destroyers, so he therefore, ordered his crew to abandon and scuttle the ship. Bezzi, however, decided to go down with the Console Generale Liuzzi, for which he would be posthumously awarded the Gold Medal. On June 5, , U. The Japanese carrier fleet was crippled with multiple losses, including the Akagi and Kaga, and later the Hiryu, but it was the loss of the Soryu — and her beloved captain — that would strike at the hearts of the Japanese sailors.

After Captain Ryusaku Yanagimoto gave the order to abandon the burning ship, it was discovered that he had remained aboard. He watched with the other survivors as the Soryu sank along with the bodies of , including her captain. The convention doesn't mandate that the captain stay on board, but its rules suggest a captain is always responsible for the people on board. There are also guidelines presented in the Merchant Marine Officer's Handbook which say the captain should be the last person to leave the vessel, but the guidelines are just that, guidelines, not law.

If South Korea does not have its own laws that dictate a captain must stay on the ship, Joon-seok may not be charged criminally for leaving the vessel while his passengers were struggling to escape. Now this disaster was not on the scale of the Titanic. In fact, 32 people died as a result of the ship going down. For the captain to leave while people were still in peril was seen as a clear dereliction of his duty by many.

Three years later, Schettino was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in the incident. That was for crimes including manslaughter. It also included abandoning a ship with passengers still onboard. One year of his 16 year sentence was specifically for the crime of abandoning ship.

It headed out en route to Jeju. The trip was miles and would take over 13 hours. There were over passengers on board, including high school students on a field trip. The boat had been purchased from Japan and was already 18 years old and in poor condition. It was retrofitted illegally in Korea to include more space for passengers and cargo. Its gross tonnage was changed from just tons to a staggering 6, tons. Passenger capacity increased from to The ship was known to be imbalanced with a shifted center of gravity.

However, documents were falsified to allow it to be certified as safe. On the morning that the Sewol sank, a fog warning had been issued. The boat was issued a maximum cargo allowance of tons. It was carrying tons. They had not even adjusted the ballast from the previous voyage. Captain Lee Joon-Seok was a replacement captain working on a one-year contract. The previous captain had complained that the vessel needed repairs. They spent it on a paper certificate. It was around 9 in the morning when the Sewol sank.

They were passing through a channel when the ferry started listing starboard. The pilot made note that the steering was not responding. Attempts to compensate made it worse and the cargo rapidly shifted. That shift caused the boat to dip and take on water. Power cut off, and the boat continued listing. A call went out over the intercom, telling passengers to remain where they were.

Even as passenger quarters started filling with water, the warning was broadcast again. And then Captain Joon-Seok did the unthinkable.

He personally told passengers to stay where they were. And then he abandoned ship. The first emergency call did not come from the captain or crew. One of the high school students called for help. Three minutes later the crew called for help. Even as the boat sank, it was local fishing ships that arrived to save the fleeing passengers.

It was over a half hour later that the captain gave the order for passengers to abandon the ship. No one knows if that order was ever relayed to any passengers. It took two-and-a-half hours for the ferry to sink. Despite that, passengers died, including of the students. The captain was the first person to be rescued, along with several crew members. South Korean law states a captain must remain onboard in a disaster. He was punished accordingly. His actions would have been abhorrent if he had just jumped ship.

Instead, he made people stay where they were. The children who stayed were listening to an authority figure. Many of them never even left their rooms. They would have been trapped until it was too late to do anything. The captain was sentenced to 36 years for negligence. At the time he was acquitted of homicide charges. Later, an appellate court reinstated the homicide verdict and he was given life in prison.

A naval captain has different responsibilities than a civilian. This would be on the same level as desertion and warrant official charges. This includes a court martial and likely a dishonorable discharge.

There are exceptions, of course. If a captain were to abandon the ship as part of a greater plan to save the vessel, then that would be reasonable. Some captains have gone above and beyond to save the crew. One of the most incredible comes from the Second World War. The submarine was on the surface when it came under fire. Gilmore and several others were shot. Critically injured, he stayed on deck and gave the order to submerge. The crew closed the hatch, and the submarine dived.

It was the last time Gilmore was ever seen. His actions saved his crew but left them without a captain. Gilmore was awarded the Medal of Honor for distinguished gallantry as a result. The tradition of not abandoning ship goes out of the water as well. Captain Richard Ogg proved this in Captain Ogg was the pilot of Pan Am Flight 6 which suffered multiple engine failures. The plane went down in the Pacific Ocean. Ogg stayed on board to help coordinate the evacuation of passengers and crew.

A Coast Guard vessel was able to save every passenger and Ogg. Metaphorically speaking, a captain going down with the ship can appear anywhere. It means standing by a decision even if it causes you to suffer in the long run. It also refers to being ultimately responsible for not just yourself but others. Had there been enough life rafts, the Titanic's Captain Smith may well have eventually abandoned his ship after all the passengers have been safely evacuated. As long as your own life is not at risk and there are passengers on board, there is a strong moral obligation to stay," he says.

As such, he says, it could prompt international regulators to re-assess the need for more precise rules. Image source, AFP. Ultimate authority. Image source, Reuters. The Costa Concordia's captain is under house arrest. Moral code. Image source, AP. The Titanic's captain went down with his ship.