Please keep an open mind re: the captain. There is a lot of pressure to do risky things by greedy companies. I've witnessed things done to people and then when things go wrong, the employee takes the blame when they are dead and can't defend themselves or when a conversation or threat is not recorded for proof. I worked with a 'fellow' in an ER that was told to transfer an indigent pt to another hospital. The fellow protested because he knew the man would not make it and had a better chance where he was. His career was threatened by the CEO if he didn't comply with commands. "If you don't transfer him, you will never practice a day of medicine again."
A friend who was in charge in a rehab facility reported that she was dressed down severely and taken out of her charge position for calling an ambulance for a pt that fell and had a suspected broken hip which was later confirmed. "Why didn't a CNA drive the rehab's van to the hospital with the pt? Do you know how costly the ambulance is?" Decisions of health can be made by business executives who have no idea how serious a hip fracture can be. These are a couple of the many situations I've witnessed or been warned about.
People make risky decisions everyday when their livelihood to care for their families are in jeopardy. I'm not saying that it's right, I'm simply pointing out that things like this happen and we are quick to jump on the pressured victim. I don't believe the captain had a death wish. But I do believe in the possibility of coercion. They didn't even have the correct life preservers on board and the lifeboat 'lift' had a board wedged in it to make it 'work'. I have no way of knowing what happened, this is MOO from anecdotal experience and observation and we have no recordings of communication between the captain and the company CEO.
"As one officer who sailed with Davidson recalled Monday, a ship Davidson commanded years before had steering problems and needed repairs. He demanded two tugboats escort the ship 126 miles down the Chesapeake Bay, slowly, at 10 knots — or under 12 mph.
The company, a different one from the owner of the El Faro, was furious, the officer recalled. It didn’t have time for an overly cautious, costly endeavor like that. It didn’t have time for a captain who couldn’t take risks for the sake of profit, he recalled.
The officer, who said he is a good friend of Davidson but still sometimes works for the company and is unwilling to give his name, said Davidson was fired."
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2015-10-05/story/who-michael-davidson-captain-missing-el-faro
http://jacksonville.com/news/2016-12-13/el-faro-family-criminal-negligence
"Spohrer showed reporters photos of the battered lifeboat, with a gaping hole and much of the exterior shell gone, found after the ship sank. He displayed photos of other concerning details, including a piece of wood wedged in the equipment to lower the lifeboat. The attorney said that could indicate a crewmember having to use the wooden handle to try to release the boat to lower it.
He said the investigations must determine “who is accountable, who is responsible for the lack of seaworthiness of the vessel.”
Spohrer said the expert evaluating the lifeboat found life vests similar to those that would be used in a recreational fishing or ski boat – not commercial vests."
