newsWikipedia1928 · Off Hampton Roads, Virginia, USA
A liner listed and sank off Virginia, and the inquiries shaped a new safety treaty
The SS Vestris, a 1912 steam ocean liner running between New York and the River Plate, began listing in heavy seas about 200 miles (320 km) off Hampton Roads, Virginia on 12 November 1928. The ship was abandoned and sank, killing at least 110 passengers, mostly women and children who died after the vessel was left. Her wreck is thought to lie about 2 km beneath the North Atlantic. The sinking attracted much press coverage because of the loss of so many women and children in the abandonment.
The sinking and the inquiries that followed may have shaped the second International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) in 1929, which set rules for ship safety, lifeboats and radio. It is another case where safety rules were tightened after a disaster.
Maritime safety law has largely advanced after disasters, from the Titanic in 1912 to the Vestris in 1928.
The first SOLAS convention was adopted in 1914 after the Titanic sank in 1912.
Adapted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Lamport & Holt Line Ltd, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
