This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/31/cruise-ship-owner-video-evidence
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Cruise line accused of ignoring dying fishermen hits back with video evidence | Cruise line accused of ignoring dying fishermen hits back with video evidence |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The owners of a cruise ship accused of failing to rescue three dying fishermen have released video evidence that appears to show that the drifting boat spotted by passengers was not the one on which the tragedy occurred. | The owners of a cruise ship accused of failing to rescue three dying fishermen have released video evidence that appears to show that the drifting boat spotted by passengers was not the one on which the tragedy occurred. |
| The video shows Adrian Vasquez, the sole survivor of an extraordinary four weeks adrift in the Pacific, soon after his rescue near the Galápagos Islands in March, along with his small boat, Fifty Cent. Princess Cruises said it had "scientific confirmation" that this could not be the vessel photographed passing the Star Princess in the Pacific. The source of the video is unclear. | |
| Passengers on the cruise ship – birdwatchers with powerful binoculars – had alerted officers to a small boat alone in the Pacific apparently signalling for attention, but the ship did not stop. | Passengers on the cruise ship – birdwatchers with powerful binoculars – had alerted officers to a small boat alone in the Pacific apparently signalling for attention, but the ship did not stop. |
| Vasquez and families of the survivors have been suing the cruise line for damages. Princess has demanded that the lawsuits now be thrown out, but lawyers in Miami for the plaintiffs have dismissed the cruise company's evidence as a "last-ditch effort to avoid liability". | |
| A Princess Cruises spokeswoman said: "We'll never know what boat was spotted by the passengers, or if they were just waving or were in distress. However, we've done a comprehensive investigation of this incident and we have heard of no reports of any missing vessels in the area." | |
| Princess said the ship's British captain, Edward Perrin, had been devastated by allegations that his ship ignored a vessel in distress. | Princess said the ship's British captain, Edward Perrin, had been devastated by allegations that his ship ignored a vessel in distress. |
| Princess said it had contacted passengers "and they were relieved to hear this news". | Princess said it had contacted passengers "and they were relieved to hear this news". |
| However, both Judy Meredith, from Oregon, and Jim Dowdall, from Ireland, said they had not seen the full evidence and would want to know more before commenting. Meredith said she still had questions and would not know if it was conclusive without Vasquez's testimony. Both reiterated that they had seen men on a boat adrift signalling, and that the cruise company had not acted on their reports. | |
| Vasquez spoke of how a large cruise ship passed by in the day before one of his companions died. | |
| Princess Cruises said the birdwatchers' photos show a small white boat similar to those used by local fishermen, while the video footage they have released of the Fifty Cent's rescue shows a very different boat. | Princess Cruises said the birdwatchers' photos show a small white boat similar to those used by local fishermen, while the video footage they have released of the Fifty Cent's rescue shows a very different boat. |
| The cruise line commissioned analysis from a retired Nasa photography expert that backs its conclusions, as well as a drift analysis of ocean currents, wind and wave data from a private meteorological consulting firm that said Star Princess and Fifty Cent were on different paths. | |
| Alan Buckelew, the president and CEO of Princess Cruises, said: "While this remains a tragic story, we are gratified to have scientific confirmation that Star Princess was never in the vicinity of the adrift boat and that the boat photographed by our passengers was not the adrift Fifty Cent. | Alan Buckelew, the president and CEO of Princess Cruises, said: "While this remains a tragic story, we are gratified to have scientific confirmation that Star Princess was never in the vicinity of the adrift boat and that the boat photographed by our passengers was not the adrift Fifty Cent. |
| "Nevertheless, we have used this as a valuable learning opportunity and have strengthened our bridge reporting procedures to ensure that all messages of concern from passengers or crew are carefully evaluated by our senior bridge officers." | |
| Princess had previously refused to comment pending the results of an investigation by the ship's flag state, Bermuda, saying it did not want to pre-empt its work. The Bermudan investigation is yet to report. | Princess had previously refused to comment pending the results of an investigation by the ship's flag state, Bermuda, saying it did not want to pre-empt its work. The Bermudan investigation is yet to report. |