Oceanos
Never mind 'women and children first'; when the cruise boat Oceanos rolled over in rough seas off Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast in August 1991, it was the captain who took the very first helicopter ride off the sinking ship.
But how could a seaworthy ship roll over and sink, just like that? Turns out repairs in the engine room had not been completed because she was running behind schedule (caused by a bomb scare... all the rage in those days), and a pipe and some non-return valves connecting the waste disposal system had not been reattached, rendering the watertight aft bulkhead not so watertight.
No one knows why she started taking in water, but once she did she was going one way - down. All 580 passengers and crew - including the captain - were saved by air-force helicopters, fishing boats, tugs and other ships.
Jacaranda
