The passenger cruise ship Oceanos sank 4th August 1991. On board were 581 passengers and crew. The Oceanos was a Greek cruise liner, sailing from Cape Town, South Africa, via east London to Durban. The Oceanos sank off the Transkei in an area called Coffee Bay off the Wild Coast. The sea is known for treacherous currents and several ships have sunk here.
The sinking of the Oceanos and the rescue of the passengers and crew is world famous. When any ship sinks it makes headlines, especially when a passenger cruise liner sinks. The Oceanos sinking was exceptional because the cruise ship rescue and abandon ship procedures went terribly wrong.
When a passenger cruise liner sinks most people imagine it will be women and children first into the ship's lifeboats, and that the captain and crew will be the last to leave. On board the sinking Oceanos this did not happen. Instead, the Oceanos cruise director, Lorraine Betts, and the cruise ship entertainers suddenly found themselves running the rescue of the Oceanos passengers on their own, during a terrible storm and in the middle of the night........
My name is Moss Hills, and my wife Tracy and I were two of those Oceanos entertainers. This website will try and tell the story of our part in the rescue of the Oceanos passengers and crew. I also hope to include the stories of the passengers, plus other Oceanos entertainers, including Lorraine Betts, the cruise hosts and hostesses, the musicians and magicians who ran the rescue. Video footage shot on board will be available for download later.
If you have any information about the Oceanos sinking, or if you were a passenger on board, please send me your story and any video footage and photos for possible inclusion. moss@stagebeat.com
Regards, Moss Hills
