Captain was not at helm of capsized S Korean ferry

There have been near-miraculous stories of people surviving in air pockets, but it must be awful there in the dark and the cold.

With no rational reason for believing in survivors, people turn to prayer and fervently begin to hope that there is a God and that miracles are possible..

The irresponsible captain may deserve death penalty if so many passengers died. He knew it when he escaped first before these passengers.

God, it's the Costa Concordia all over again.

Anyone with that amount of responsibility should abandon his post. A true captain is always last... and he always makes sure that the boat is clear before jumping ship. The captain in question is a coward. In a court of law, he should be barred from ever setting sail.

Regardless of where the captain was, he is ultimately responsible. Command should have been delegated to somebody with sufficient skills if he wasn't on the bridge.

A tight turn would explain the listing and a subsequent "bang" of shifting cargo mentioned in the survivor's testimony printed yesterday. Or perhaps a sharp turn was made to avoid a hazard but the ferry hit it anyway. I would think a breach of the hull caused by hitting an object should be be pretty unmistakeable.

I'm looking at pictures to get an idea of the design and there appears to be a flaw regarding location of the doors on the passenger decks in a case like this. This is not the fault of the crew, but their failure to act accordingly and evacuate the passengers in a timely and orderly manner is.

Seriously suggest multiple doors on all sides, bow and stern included. They don't all have to be used during normal operations, but should be easy to access and exit in an emergency.

So the captain wasn't at the helm... isn't that the helmsman's role?

This is really a tragic event... and I can't understand why so many are missing... didn't anyone actually jump off before it rolled over?

The evacuation was delayed too long and once she started tilting and the floors became walls ...

I heard there was a 25 year old woman who was controlling the ship. Rumour or fact?

"Tracking data from the Maritime Ministry showed that the ferry made a sharp turn just before sending its first distress signal.

Some experts believe a tight turn could have dislodged the heavy cargo manifest—including more than 150 vehicles—and destabilised the vessel, causing it to list heavily and then capsize."

I just saw on NHK Newswatch 9 that the ship made two sharp turns just before the accident.

As Mr Thunderbird pointed out, the helmsman is at the helm. And the Captain is not on the bridge 24/7. However, the captain is always ultimately responsible. If the ship made two sudden turns it would indicate an evasive manoeuvre. What hasn't been mentioned here is that the ship had been modified from its original design to expand the upper decks and staterooms thereby altering its CG. That would predisposition the vessel to more easily roll.

Tragic for the missing and their loved ones.

I just heard that the safety raft that were suppose to eject automatically when the tilts too far did not activate properly either.

what i want to know is if they can bore holes in the hull for oxygen why aren't they opening up the hull so people can swim in and find survivors??

If they open up the hull, the last of the inner air may escape, sending the half-floating ship to the bottom.

I am still wondering why a young woman would yank the wheel over like that. The only thing I can think of that hasn't been mentioned is the Captain or someone making some kind of move on her.

What's the situation regarding Japanese aid? I've heard that Japan offered to send help but was refused - is this correct?

It's a pity the teachers supervising the field trip were not more proactive about getting their kids off the boat. I know they have to follow instructions from the crew, but at some point they must have realized the danger.

@Shumatsu_Samurai That is correct.