Final Messages From Sinking Ships That Are Haunting
By KATHY BENJAMIN
History - Science
MV SEWOL FERRY
The MV Sewol ferry in South Korea capsized on April 16, 2014. 304 people died after some passengers were trapped on board, many of whom were students.
Many trapped students sent out texts to their loved ones. One mother, who didn’t know what was happening, received a text saying, "This might be the last chance to say I love you."
BOURBON RHODE
Eight days after leaving port in the Canary Islands, the Bourbon Rhode encountered a Category 3 hurricane that sank the ship and killed 11 of its 14 crew members.
The ship sent messages indicating it was flooding. An hour later, its final message reported, "Life rafts not possible to launch, very rough seas, swell 10 {meters] or more."
GULF LIVESTOCK 1
On September 2, 2020, the Gulf Livestock 1 was sunk by a typhoon while transporting cows from New Zealand to China. All but two of the 5,910 animals on board died.
Crewmember William Mainprize tried to reassure his sister before the disaster, saying, "Should be fine — we’re a big boat." However, his messages to friends expressed his fear.
TITANIC
Perhaps the most famous sinking, the oceanliner Titanic, went down on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg. An estimated 1,500 died, while 706 were rescued.
When disaster struck, the ship’s telegraph operators begged for assistance and sent out several status reports. The final message read, "Come quick. Engine room nearly full."
MIGRANT DINGHY
On December 14, 2022, a captain of a fishing boat in the English Channel discovered immigrants in the water after their boat had sunk. Four of the 47 passengers died.
One of the passengers left a voice message for a French migrant charity, saying, "Water is coming in the boat and we don’t have anything ... Please help me, bro."