Cemfjord’s shame
Yesterday’s (6 January) dealt with the power of the sea, and the shipwrecks in the Pentland Firth and the Solent.
What we must not forget is that it is not only a wrecked ship and the bodies of its crew that lie on the floor of the Pentland Firth, but the wreck of the hopes and happiness of eight families.
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Hide AdThe authorities will try to learn what happened to the Cemfjord, but I fear any investigation could well be baulked and delayed by lawyers and accountants for those with money at stake, until such time they can minimise their clients’ exposure to retributive justice.
It’s the way things work these days: more money will be spent in protecting the ship’s owners and shareholders from having to put their hands in their pockets than was ever spent on the health, safety and comfort of the crew when they were alive – and in three years’ time, when it happens again, we will be asking each other: “What was the name of that ship that went down in the Pentland Firth?”
David Fiddimore
Calton Road