1940) is a Greek former sea captain who commanded the cruise ship Oceanos when she sank off the Wild Coast of the Transkei, South Africa, on Sunday 4 August 1991.
The chief engineer reported to Captain Avranas that water was entering the hull and flooding the generator room.
Realising the fate of the ship, the crew reportedly fled in panic, neglecting the standard procedure of closing the lower deck portholes.
Passengers remained ignorant of the events taking place until they witnessed the first signs of flooding in the lower decks.
At this stage, eyewitness accounts reveal that many of the crew, including Captain Avranas, were already packed and ready to depart.
[10] Captain Avranas claimed that he left the ship first in order to arrange for a rescue effort,[11] and then supervised it from a helicopter.
[15] Avranas has attracted extensive media coverage for his actions during the sinking, often being vilified and used as an example of poor professional behaviour while in command.