It’s an old cliche, but it’s true: disasters are not caused by a single mistake. For a tragedy to happen, several things have to go wrong at the same time.
This seems to be exactly what happened on Saturday afternoon (04/23) off the coast of Hokkaido in northern Japan.
The Shiretoko Peninsula is an amazing place. Located in the North Pacific, this region is covered by densely forested mountains with waterfalls that pour from high cliffs directly into the ocean.
The northern half of the peninsula is a national park and a world heritage site. It is also home to Japan’s largest population of ussuri brown bears, which are close relatives of the North American brown bear (also called a grizzly or brown bear).
Adding to the stunning natural beauty are the bears that tourists come to see. And the easiest way to see them is by boat. Some companies claim to have a 90% to 95% success rate.
Around 10:00 am on Saturday morning, the Kazu 1 tour boat departed from the small fishing port of Utoro for the peninsula.
The ship had a capacity of 65 passengers, but only 24 tourists were on board as of Saturday. They came from different parts of Japan. There were two small children, one of whom was three years old.
The weather was bad. There were strong winds and ten-foot waves.
Image: KYODO/REUTERS
warning signs
As Kazu 1 sailed north through stormy seas, local fishing boats were heading the other way and returning to the harbor for shelter.
The captain of another tour boat claims that Kazu 1 told the captain that it was too dangerous to go out. But it would be ignored.
The captain of Kazu 1 was inexperienced in piloting at sea.
According to Japanese media, he trained to operate boats on the lakes, but was eventually hired by the Shiretoko Pleasure Cruise company to replace the more experienced captains who were fired by the owner.
The company was already under investigation after two previous security incidents, including a grounding in 2021.
Shortly after 1 pm on Saturday, the coast guard received a distress call. Kazu 1 drifted with a broken engine and got into the water near Kashuni Falls.
This is a particularly hilly part of the peninsula, with several beaches and cliffs that plunge directly into the sea.
In April the water is still very cold, just a few degrees above zero.
In Japan, where safety is almost a national slogan, it is conceivable that a passenger boat operating in icy waters should have lifeboats.
But it is not. This is not a legal requirement for such ships.
Kazu 1 only had life jackets and buoys for passengers to hold onto. Experts say the average adult who dived into the cold waters of northern Hokkaido in April would not survive for more than an hour. One child is much less.
The first coast guard helicopter did not reach Kashuni Falls more than three hours after the first distress call was received.
Hokkaido’s northeast coast is known as the “blind spot” for rescue services.
The nearest helicopter base is 160 km away. But on Saturday, the nearest coast guard helicopter was in another operation.
He needed to fly back to his base, refuel, and then head north to Shiretoko. When he arrived, only 90 minutes of daylight remained.
At the time of writing this report, there are still 15 passengers and crew unaccounted for. Intensive search continues.
But hope of finding someone alive was dashed. It led to anger and self-reflection.
Important questions to answer: Why was an inexperienced captain allowed to sail in dangerous conditions with completely inadequate safety equipment on his way to the icy waters of northern Japan?
source: Noticias
