Aftermath of a Sea Tragedy
What was supposed to be a four-day jaunt to the Caribbean became an eight-day nightmare when an engine fire left the ship floating in the Gulf of Mexico without power, air-conditioning, or a working septic system. The Carnival Triumph, an immobile cruise ship that has stranded its 4,000 occupants at sea since Sunday, will not arrive ashore until much later than originally thought because of a broken towline, according to the Mobile Press-Register.
A fire on the 900-foot, 14-story boat that knocked out the ship’s propulsion system Sunday has turned what was supposed to be four-day dream cruise to the Caribbean into an eight-day health and public relations nightmare. The fire not only knocked out the ship’s propulsion, but its power, air conditioning, and septic systems as well.
The extra time at sea has also left the boat short on food and passengers without critical medicine. The ship left Galveston, Texas, Thursday carrying 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members who planned to return to home port Monday night. The engine fire stalled those plans, leaving the ship adrift in the Gulf of Mexico 150 miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. How many are the casualties? No one would say at this point.
100 years after the sinking of luxury cruise ship Titanic on April 14, several memorials all over the world were unveiled and various tributes held to commemorate one of the most tragic maritime disasters in history. Titanic, though, is not the “worst” peacetime sea tragedy, but the sinking of the passenger ferry MV Doña Paz in the Philippines 25 years ago. While big-budget Hollywood movies have been made about the ill-fated maiden voyage of RMS Titanic, only small-production documentaries on the more than 4,000 Filipinos rushing to get home to their loved ones just in time for Christmas in 1987 have been produced.
I have a friend who lost a brother in that needless tragedy. The saddest thing was that her brother’s body was not yet recovered when she sent a message to me. With her email was his picture, smiling as he playfully mussed her hair for the camera, an icy hand clutched my heart. How could I tell her that I dreamt of the same man, in an island, he was wearing khaki cut-off pants and V-neck white shirt? He was very wet and looking worried. I wanted to approach him but couldn’t.
With the Boston Marathon bombing, the morning paper got me thinking of death. End-of-life reports ignite my curiosity and make me want to get in touch again with paranormal ideas. In the case of my friend’s brother, I know that I have a score to settle for not speaking out at that moment of need. What if I did? Would it make any difference? Could they have found his body sooner? I was very young then, unsure of my “clairvoyant gifts”. This time, I will be more than able to relay communication from the other world to their loved ones in this world. I just know I will be.
Pray for Boston,
Sandra Ross
