On April 19, 2021, Captain Dan Sandu, 68, from Romania, master of the general cargo ship MV Vantage Wave, died at sea, apparently from cardiac arrest. The ship was on route from Paradip India to Guangzhou, China, with cargo of aluminum ingots. Captain Sandu’s body was stored in the ship’s freezer until it could be repatriated.
Six months later, the captain’s body was still in the freezer after ports in 13 countries had refused to allow the body to be removed from the ship.
“All we wanted was to get our father home,” his son Andrei told the Wall Street Journal. “How can this happen in 2021?”
While the captain did not die of Covid-19, strict new regulations in many countries don’t allow the offloading of a crew member that passed away due to fears that the body could still be infectious.
“The depressing thing about this is that deceased or dead people have no rights whatsoever,” Jason Chuah, a professor of maritime law at London’s City University, told the Wall Street Journal. “It is a huge problem and reflects so poorly on our common humanity.”
In October, Sandu’s body finally made it to its final resting place in a small Romanian village — half a year after his death.
Thanks to Larry Witmer for contributing to this post.
This is appalling. The lack of human dignity accorded to this man is a disgrace. As a species, we still have a long way to go as regards human decency.
Much agree this is indeed an international disgrace. The tradition in the past was to be buried at sea which is at least respectful.