By Jane Luscombe
An international investigation is planned into why dozens of shipwrecked students were left clinging to life rafts, in high seas, for two days.
The S V Concordia’s captain, William Curry, was amazed none of the 48 students on board when down with the ship.
“I suppose you could use the word miracle for this,” he says. “It was fortunate that the students were in class and on deck – otherwise it might have turned out differently.”
The captain blamed the sinking on a microburst. The ship heeled to one side, and as it did the storm sails were filled by a sudden, violent downdraft of wind that forced it over. Within 15 seconds windows started to pop in, and the boat began sinking.
Twenty minutes later, The Concordia was gone completely.
Having survived the sinking, the crew and students found themselves clinging to life rafts 550kms from land, fearing starvation and a lonely death. The crew set off a satellite emergency transmitter – but it was more than a day before the signal was picked up.
The students included Auckland teenager Mei Barry, who had never sailed before, and before leaving had confessed to her father, Desmond, she was scared about the trip.
“Thirty hours in the ocean, the boat has gone under – they’re just in life rafts not knowing if anyone knew they were there or not,” says Mr Barry of his daughter’s ordeal.
They were adrift for two days before being rescued. Today, Mr Barry and his wife Yoshiko were finally able to reach Mei in Brazil.
The 17-year-old was still shaken when 3 News spoke to her today.
“It’s just overwhelming,” she said. “It’s so confusing.”
A New Zealand diplomat is helping until Mr Barry can get to Brazil, and says Mei is doing “really well”.
“She’s lost everything. We asked what she wanted, she said some New Zealand lollies,” says Mr Barry.
A British maritime agency will be investigating why it took so long for the emergency beacon to be detected.
3 News