Selfless Heroism - Rats & Sinking Ships?

The ferry "Sewol" sank. At least 146 people are confirmed dead, many were high school students who were on a field trip.174 people were rescued. In the aftermath questions have been raised. Why was an inexperienced third mate guiding the ship at the time of the accident? Why were so few of the ferry's life rafts deployed and why did crew members order passengers to don life vests and stay put? The captain and some crew actions were "akin to murder" according to the President.

Maritime conventions say that Captains should stay on board until everybody is safe. The "Sewol" Capt' Lee Joon-seok and "Costa Concordia" Capt' Francesco Schettino bucked this tradition. In Italy, South Korea and other countries, abandoning ship can be a maritime crime. A captain's early departure can leave a leadership vacuum according to safety experts.

HMS "Birkenhead", a British ship carrying troops, began to sink off the coast of South Africa in 1852. The captain and military officers on board famously allowed women and children to board the lifeboats first. Capt. Edward J. Smith went down with the "Titanic"."The captain's first obligation is for the safety of his crew and passengers," according to Capt. James Staples, a maritime consultant. "He should stay on board that vessel until he knows everybody is safely evacuated".

The other reason he stays on board the vessel is for salvage rights. International maritime conventions on the safety of life at sea make a captain responsible for the vessel and all the people on board, but it doesn't stipulate that the captain should stay on the ship. However he shouldn't leave the vessel early.

All of that said I just wonder what I would do if, heaven forbid, I was a ship's captain. Would I be brave & fearless & self sacrificing? Or would I be gripped by an overwhelming instict for survival & self preservation in the terror of the moment? "Fight or flight" is programmed deep into every one of us. We cannot know until we are in that position what we would do. So maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge & point the finger of blame. The words "stones & glass houses" spring to mind.

Everyone wants a scapegoat - someone has got to be to blame. But are we now living in a world where no one can make a mistake?  If so we are more Godlike than I realised. These situations are tragic for everyone touched by the event. There is heartbreak & trauma which we can all relate to. The reality is that accidents will happen, it is the way of life. Unless someone can be held to have been negligent we have to admit that human error will continue to claim lives & try to learn the lessons & move on.

My sympathy goes out to all the loved ones & friends of people who die accidentally. But I don't believe that we can live in a perfect world. I also don't believe that people should be hounded for a mistake. It serves no useful purpose. They have to spend the rest of their lives with the emotional guilt of what they did or did not do. That sounds like a life sentence to me.