Stubborn in the Face Of Imminent Death, a Ship Captain Intervenes

Updated: March 20, 2015 (Originally published March 17, 2015)

In October 2014, Captain Joshua Bhatt and the crew on board the bulk carrier CS Caprice, a ship owned by the Bahamas-based Campbell Shipping Company Ltd, was called upon to rescue 510 migrants and bring them to safety in Italy. The CS Caprice story highlights a happy ending for a group of migrants who found themselves in an unbelievably precarious situation on the open ocean, however over 3500 people died last year on that same voyage.

Captain Bhatt and his crew recognized weather conditions were deteriorating to a point where the refugee vessel stood a good chance of foundering and took it upon himself to ensure the safety of those people on board. Legally, he perhaps could have left them to their fate as they repeatedly refused assistance, however a deeper responsibility toward humanity and kindness was what gave him the patience to ensure their safety on board his vessel.

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