The U.S. Coast Guard is now reporting that the missing California passenger, Ms. Edelgard Carney, went overboard at 6:08 a.m. Tuesday, 200 miles south of Ketchikan. An announcement with such a specific time obviously means that there are closed circuit surveillance tapes which captured images which precisely document the time the passenger went overboard.
Previously, news sources reported that Ms. Carney disappeared on Monday evening.
There is technology available to the cruise industry for surveillance cameras to be triggered by motion with an alarm being immediately sent to the bridge to alert the cruise ship’s officers that a passenger has gone overboard. This system would capture the video and permit immediate notification of the emergency. Tracking devices would drop into the water so that the exact location of the passenger overboard could be determined.
Some – but certainly not all – cruise lines employ "surveillance camera operators" whose job descriptions require that the cameras be monitored 24 hours for passenger safety and security. Are these cameras and their operators focused on the rails on the port and starboard sides of the cruise ship? Or are they focused just on the casino or other similar locations to prevent theft of the cruise ship’s money?
There are no regulations which apply to foreign flagged cruise ships regarding this issue. They pretty much do whatever they want. What are Princess Cruises’ polices and procedures?
Princess Cruises provides a low tech cam from the bridge of the Sapphire Princess on its web site for customers to take a look & see. Are their crew members monitoring the surveillance cameras on the ship?
Has Princess Cruises made a decision to utilize technology for immediate notification of passenger over boards? If not, why not?
Photo credit:
Sapphire Princess Bridge Cam Princess Cruises