6 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • MAY 2014
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No. 5 Vol. 76
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trauthwein@marinelink.com
W
ith today’s 24/7/365 news cycle, anyone
with an internet connection and a device
can log-in and receive news from virtu-
ally anywhere around the world as it
happens. This comes with advantages and disad-
vantages, as today the world seems a much smaller,
much more ‘informed’ place, but at the same time
it is important to remember that erroneous informa-
tion fl ows as freely and fast as correct information.
As an example, today the grim details of the
sinking and tremendous loss of life aboard the
South Korean ferry are well-known, and the name
“Sewol” will live in infamy in the maritime history
books. At press time the recovery of dead continues,
despite initial news reports from the scene that pro-
claimed “All South Korean Students and Teachers
Rescued.”
While there have been far bigger wrecks with
many more dead, this one struck a nerve in that of
the 476 passengers and crew onboard, 339 were
children and teachers on a high school outing for
what was planned as a routine sailing from the Port
of Incheon to the southern island of Jeju. It will take
months if not years before the fi nal chapter on Se-
wol is written, and perhaps the tale will never fully
be told. But in the immediate aftermath, more than
300 remain missing and are presumed dead, a dis-
graced South Korean Prime Minister has resigned,
Captain Lee Joon-seok and many of his crew are in
jail, and there are more questions than answers.
There are many disturbing facts about this case,
starting fi rst and foremost with the number and age
profi le of the souls lost; the actions of the captain
and certain crew which suggests their actions con-
tributed mightily to the loss of life; the accusations
from the president of Korea that essentially accused
the captain of “murder” ... the list goes on.
With early focus and outrage set squarely on the
captain and crew, we focus here on the role of the
maritime training and education community in help-
ing to mitigate the risk of future maritime casual-
ties.
While the investigation is still fresh and we cer-
tainly have drawn no conclusions, we reached out
to several maritime training and education experts
for their insights.
You can read the full story starting on page 26,
but as we report here, and have done some many
times before: training and education is only as valu-
able as the mariner chooses to employ skills learned
onboard a ship; technology is helpful, but not the
sole answer; and situational awareness of ship, crew
and surroundings is key … distilled perfectly by
Jeff Cowan as he simply advises: “Look out the
window.”
This month is also a continuation of Maritime
Reporter’s 75th Anniversary, and I’m happy to say
that Patricia Keefe has delivered once again with
an insightful profi le of Elmer A. Sperry, inven-
tor and innovator, widely regarded as the Father of
Modern Navigational Technology. Read her report
starting on page 32 and see if you agree that Sperry
deserves this lofty title.
EDITORIAL
GREG TRAUTHWEIN, EDITOR & ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
SewolSewol ...
Many Question,
Few Answers
MR #5 (1-9).indd 6 5/2/2014 11:09:59 AM
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