The Le Joola Ferry Capsize - The Horror of "Africa's Titanic" (Short Documentary)

26th September 2002 - The ferry "Le Joola" set sail to make her weekly trip to the Senegal capital, Dakar. Overloaded and top heavy, a freak storm led to her capsize. Over 1,800 people lost their lives in what is the second worst non-military maritime disaster of all time. It is a tragedy that many people have never even heard of......
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Although focused primarily on disasters, this channel is all about the interesting, the strange, the unsolved, the tragic. Our world has a varied history full of terrible tragedies, bizarre tales, unexplained events, and extravagant people. I hope you enjoy some of the fascinating stories we have here.
#History #Disasters

[@theravenseye9443]

Before starting this channel I had never even heard of this tragedy....and more people lost their lives here, than on the Titanic. Regarding the Port/Starboard issue - although the ship is listing to Starboard in the photo, multiple sources stated that she capsized to Port. Maybe her centre of gravity shifted after she cast off? If you would like to support this channel - buymeacoffee.com/TheRavensEye

[@talpark8796]

Read about half a column about this tragedy in the ''International'' section of the Sunday national edition of *The Globe and Mail* (Canada), at the time. It should be more well known. BTW....basically, all ships dock starboard so with the all the waving etc it's very common for passengers to crowd starboard and cause such a list, but it 'balances' out once the voyage is underway and passengers disperse across the beam. Also....if ''something(s)'' cause any type of a list while underway, the passengers naturally migrate in that 'downward' direction, exacerbating the list even more. (there should be many naval history disaster uploads thatll explain it better than i have the time for now) Thx for the content.

[@hostrauer]

Once water started getting into the cargo decks, the resulting "free surface effect" would have resulted in the vessel capsizing (in any direction) within moments. This particular menace of physics is responsible for numerous car ferry disasters: not just the Le Joola, but also the Herald of Free Enterprise (193 killed in 1987), the Estonia (852 killed in 1994), and the al-Salam Boccaccio 98 (~1,000 killed in 2006)

[@paulkasden9758]

So glad your channel came across my feed. you do a great job on your videos. subbed!! enjoying your list of posts!! ✌😎🔥🔥🔥

[@Stu-SB]

Most of us, me included don't know what the Starboard or Port sides are lol.. Great vids, clear and concise narration..subbed from me 👌

[@rogerbarton497]

@@Stu-SB Aide memoire - The words "starboard" & "right" are longer than "port" & "left"

[@Kariakas]

The horror of being stuck in a crowded air bubble in a capsized ship for 10ish hours before sinking is a true nightmare. What a horrible way to go.

[@johnscanlon2598]

Would hope that carbon monoxide would build up and take you before going under really

[@elmin82]

yes poor people

[@senorpepper3405]

Have you seen the poisiden adventure?

[@norml.hugh-mann]

​@bastiat no you wouldn't

[@SUPERSPAZD]

@bastiat4855 Oh, so edgy. 🙄

[@michaelimbesi2314]

Great video. I’m a naval architect. People somehow don’t seem to understand that when we say “this is how many people you can put on the boat”, it’s because that’s how many we designed the ship to handle. Don’t go over that number. We don’t make rules for no reason. The root cause of that sinking was overcrowding and absolutely nothing else. The ship could have easily handled that storm. Flat bottomed ships aren’t unstable. In fact, having a narrower and deeper hull will generally make a ship less stable for a given displacement than a broad and shallow hull. The people who took bribes to let extra people onboard are directly culpable for that wreck and nobody and nothing else bears any blame.

[@lewisdoherty7621]

I somewhat suspect in a slipshod operation like that, none of the vehicles and other cargo was secured, so when it went into a bad tilt, everything slid to the low side. If the captain was willing to overload the passengers, what extra cargo was taken on beyond designed limits?

[@chatteyj]

What do you expect their third worlders they have no respect for laws and rules and they're heading this way

[@barrydysert2974]

Thank you so much for sharing your professional insight. It's comments like yours that keep my mind young. That flat bottomed stability thing... priceless !:-) 💜🙏⚡️

[@NoJusticeNoPeace]

The problem is engineers routinely add "wiggle room" to their designs. This gives people a false sense of security when a bridge or an elevator or a cardboard box routinely holds more than its advertised capacity, and people begin to expect this kind of overdesign in everything.

[@omnibussy]

well, yes the people who accepted bribes are definitely directly responsible. but they'd already sold double the tickets of the capacity. doomed due to negligence from the very start..

[@melasnexperience]

That pre-disaster photo of the ferry listing is horrifying. There are so many ferry accidents involving overloaded vessels that don't reach Western media, it's really depressing.

[@RagingMoon1987]

Yeah, all the people crammed on there reminds me of the Sultana disaster. The people were clinging onto that ship like ants...and then the ship exploded.

[@wayneandrews9298]

make an appointment with your therapist , you'll get over it ..

[@robertcronin6603]

@@wayneandrews9298You sound like a really nice guy - I bet people just *love* being around you.

[@greyfells2829]

The average westerner doesn't even realize how often our own planes and ships go down. People choose to stay woefully ignorant of the world's dangers, even if it risk their own lives.

[@cheeeky_8763]

@@wayneandrews9298 Can't. Your wife's boyfriend says his schedule is "booked solid."

[@l337ath3ist]

The photo of the ferry listing with so many people crowding the decks is shocking.

[@largol33t1]

That's a result of MASS corruption everywhere in Africa. The "authorities" don't give a crap that this was a recipe for total disaster. They just wanted bribe money.

[@greyfells2829]

Actually might explain why the disaster was allowed to happen. The captain and crew probably got used to the boat listing in port when it departed, as passengers tend to wave to the docks. I can see the captain eventually growing used to the initial list, and this attitude wore away the caution that would have saved these people. Cutting corners and making small exceptions tends to be an extremely common cause of industrial-scale accidents

[@thesupertendent8973]

A starboard list only half as bad as that would have my teeth shiver.

[@pietersteenekamp2281]

Welcome to Africa !!!😀

[@v5k456jh3]

'The ship's capacity is 500 people but let's get 2000, I'm sure it will be fine'

[@fatfreddyscoat7564]

I’ve travelled a lot in SE Asia and you still see this sort of thing now: overloaded top-heavy ferries. On the odd occasion we’ve had to travel on a ferry that seems a little questionable I’ve always insisted we never go below decks but instead we stay on deck, I know where the life vests are and I have a waterproof bug-out kit containing passports, money, torch, multi blade knife, mobile phone, some snacks, bandages, whistle etc etc which is all easily obtainable, cheap stuff which is worth its weight in gold if you need it. My wife thinks I’m too paranoid but best to be a little TOO cautious than a little too dead.

[@chrisperrien7055]

Pack a modern day "Mae West" lifejacket in your bug-out kit, they fold up very small. The life jackets on an old boat in a 2nd/3rd world area might not work or not be there at all.

[@amberkat8147]

Good for you! I agree, if I'm ever on a ferry that seems too unstable, I'm staying at the back, where jumping off as if tips should be easy. Luckily I can swim and float, so my only concern about water is the temperature. I don't have a waterproof kit, being in my area there isn't much use for one, but I think it's a great idea and I'm glad you have it. (We're landlocked here. So it's not likely I'll ever be on a ferry again. But I've seen so many disaster stories that I've already decided that if I ever am again I'll remain on deck as much as possible.)

[@chrisperrien7055]

@@charonstyxferryman I an thinking , a cellphone could work as "double -duty " for such devices in the short run. The less/lesser expensive stuff you have while wandering around the 2nd/3rd world "flip-flop" crowd, the better. A basic manual/CO2 life jacket , is not so extreme. You gotta weigh , what you have, against where you are in the world. Just having/showing too much extra/shiny stuff in some places and being a foreigner is a bad idea. For short range ferry's/boats on rivers/lakes , I don't think a MOB/ PLB is needed , but jumping between "islands/ocean travel" maybe.

[@spopple88]

Only been on the Bali to java one and back about 10 times and despite it being ancient it's only a short 30 minute journey and has only a few dozen people on it luckily, still a dodgy ferry though

[@mrdojob]

And this is why not many people hear about these types of African disasters. Put simply they're very preventable and the passengers themselves should have known the ship was heavily overloaded but still choose to board. The captain was an idiot but lets not put ALL the blame on him. The passengers knew they were taking the piss.

[@miisskhary]

I remember this tragedy like it was yesterday. I was 12 and living in Dakar, about 15 minutes from the port. Whole families were in that ferry. Some parents lost all their kids. October is back to school month in Senegal so all the kids and teenagers that went to visit family for summer were coming back home. My neighbor lost her cousins. The one thing all survivors remember is the screaming of the trapped people. The fact that the authorities did not let families know of the tragedy and let them hear it from the radio makes me mad. Sadly, overloaded public transports is an everyday thing. There is not enough control and responsibilities are not taken. People also feel like they don't have much to loose so they go easier and cheaper way.

[@grmpEqweer]

It's a terrible thing to have happened, my sympathies go to the people who died, and their relatives.💔

[@crazychase98]

I mean it is Africa though so be happy they said anything at all tbh.

[@ThomasWLalor]

I don't know how to say it in your language, but I am so sorry for your tragedy, for your loss of family and friends, and my prayers will be said for those gone forever, and for those who remain

[@evolveausevolveaus]

wow hearing from someone who was so close at the time is so sad, all those souls lost. respect MissLady

[@basbleupeaunoire]

Thanks for your post. What an awful thing.

[@viktorious11able]

“The fate of those left on board doesn’t even bare thinking about” Great choice of words sir

[@rl7012]

I so appreciate being told the story straight with no annoying background music, no excessive video shots and unnecessary flashy video editing, and with no over emotional excess, and letting the facts speak for themselves. Thank you. That said it is horrifying they rescued the last person off the boat while others trapped inside were still banging on it trying to get rescued. Those poor people. It doesn't bare thinking of. I have taken an Africa ferry before and it was horribly over crowded when I took it too, and I remember staying on deck out of fear it would capsize although thankfully for me it did not.

[@stevenmacdonald9619]

There has become a trend of creators copying stories lately, and just recording them in their own style, so although the subject is tragic, it is good to see that some are going out of their way to research and present untold stories. I looked on the list of Wikipedia's maritime disasters, and still Le Joola, is not recorded. I'm subscribing simply for your casting light on this terrible tragedy. I aim to learn from the things I watch, and I certainly have here. You've done people a service. Thank you.

[@theravenseye9443]

Thanks - I wonder if my picking more obscure or untold stories has meant that the channel has been slow to grow. It would be much easier to "copy" popular topics, but it's not my style. Does YT really need another video on the Sampoong Mall or Nutty Putty Caves..?

[@PiXie232]

@@theravenseye9443 I just stumbled upon your channel tonight, (and immediately subscribed.. love your content) and I have already watched a number of videos in a row, yet I have never heard any of these stories before. It’s so refreshing- yet has been utterly heartbreaking at the same time, because they are all truly tragic cases that have brought me to tears. Thank you for shedding a much needed light on these little known tragedies around the world, and why they occurred, but most importantly the victims deserve to be remembered.💕

[@chatteyj]

@@theravenseye9443 No mate it doesn't keep doing what you are doing, you are doing a great job and a service shining a light on these dark and forgotten about disasters, we don't need another documentary on the 1977 tenerife airport disaster.

[@Jfxkxdvrvr]

@@theravenseye9443 I feel like if you were to post one mainstream topic every once in a while, you’d increase traffic to the channel, without fully selling out your content. And that way you’ll be having the mainstream crowd (that only knows about the most basic of disasters) learn about the more obscure ones they wouldn’t have found without the first video showing them your channel. Definitely understand if you don’t want to go this route though

[@regan3873]

@@theravenseye9443 I don’t think there’s any harm in doing more famous disasters. Not above less famous ones but the more the better- more awareness, and maybe more information if someone stumbles across more information others haven’t. Plus, if it gets you more subscribers than you bring more awareness to the less famous ones. No pressure at all though. I know making and editing videos is hard, nevermind along with living your own life. I just figured I’d share my two cents on the whole more famous vs. less famous disasters.

[@antlerman7644]

Overcrowdeding is something that genuinely terrifies me, makes you respect the dangers that come from overcrowding, it's easy to think 'overloading something a little bit won't hurt'. This example is one of many reasons why that is not the case, a stark reminder of reality.

[@Sideshownicful]

And the scary thing is, overcrowding is kind of a slippery slope. It is so easy to fall into the trap. "Oh, it's just 50 extra passengers." "We can do 100 extra passengers. We did fine with 50 extra". "200 extra passengers? Sure. Not a problem"...

[@fabianzimmermann5495]

If the ship sunk in water that was only 23 meters deep, some people trapped inside probably stayed alive hours or even longer after the sinking. That thought is absolutely horrifying. May all victims rest in peace.

[@christianbuczko1481]

Several days is possible. Theres a video of a diving looking inside a sunken boat and finding the engineer alive in an airpocket a few days after it sank.

[@DakarBlues]

The ship sunk to 23m many days later, for 36 hours it was just capsized with its hull well above the water.

[@rayvenrey539]

They found a guy who was alive on another ship that capsized and sank. I think they should have done the same rescue effort here.

[@benwilson6145]

@@christianbuczko1481 It was the Cook.

[@thewingedpotato6463]

@@benwilson6145 Diver: Who are you? Survivor: I'm the cook.

[@satutoivonen9679]

Thank you for covering this, I haven't seen anyone else on youtube do this. I've taken Le Joolas succesor on the route, MV Aline Sitoue Diatta in it's early years of operation (from 2008 ->). The Le Joola accident ofcourse led to much stricter maritime safety standards in Senegal and Aline Sitoue Diatta is considered a safe ferry. Nonetheless I couldn't help but think of Le Joola and didn't get much sleep that night. I feel all the other passengers felt the same way: zero partying going on on the bar deck despite it being the weekend and weather being lovely. Le Joola victims are forever remembered in Senegal and especially in Casamanche. 💔

[@bentboybbz]

Respect is deserved for ending the video without begging for subs and likes. Everytime I see that I feel like it's disrespectful to those who lost their lives and their families to have some KZbinr end the story basically begging for money. Maybe I'm tripping but.....it's just off-putting to me.

[@Eiuol81853]

3:41 Seeing this image of the ship AT PORT listing like it was, I would've thought "oh hell no" on getting onto it. What a devastating, yet preventable tragedy.

[@PointNemo9]

You don't know if that picture was taken prior to the accident or or months/years beforehand

[@cplcabs]

@@PointNemo9yes, but if you had listemed to what was said in the video, the ship was listing in a similar fashion to the picture to the point where some people who had tickets to go on did not go on.

[@navnig]

She didn't look anywhere near big enough to carry 1,800 people....Shocking!

[@op0614]

Thank you, as a maritime enthusiast it is great to see this tragedy brought to light. I find it amazing how unknown this disaster is and there should be more attention brought to it.

[@felixcat9318]

From a legal perspective, the Captain was responsible because he allowed the vessel to be overloaded by an additional 1500+ passengers and an unknown volume of vehicles and cargo! The terrifying image of the vessel prior to departure, with her decks overwhelmed by passengers and an utterly horrendous list to Port is truly horrific, and one which foretold her obvious fate! The Captain and Senior Officers knew full well that the list was extremely dangerous and that their vessel was top heavy because of her being hugely overloaded and that her stability was gravelly compromised. Yet their absolute contempt for the safety of their vessel and the lives of every person on board enabled them to set sail in their doomed vessel. To the surprise of no one, the vessel capsized, and one can only imagine the countless survivors screaming and banging on the inverted hull, desperately pleading for rescue that never came! Trapped in the darkness of the inverted hull, some may have remained alive in pockets of air for days, , just like the cook, Harrison Okome on the South African tugboat Jascon 4 that capsized and sank, trapping the sole survivor in a pocket of air in the upturned hull on the seabed, where divers tasked with body recovery found him alive and well three days after the vessel had sunk! Unfortunately, tragedies of this type occur frequently in the Philippines and other countries with no maritime enforcement agencies. Excellent video, well presented and narrated, and done so respectful of those that lost relatives in this entirely foreseeable and preventable tragedy. Subscribed.

[@Ozymandias1]

The worst ferry disaster was the sinking of the Dona Paz in 1987 after it collided with an oil tanker in the Philippines. There were 4,386 deaths, more than double the number of casualties of the Le Joola. Only 25 of those on board survived.

[@rositawest4279]

Wow! 💔

[@antlerman7644]

Love your content dude. One of a few creators that has really helped me figure out what career I want. The health and safety information you provide is fascinating. Especially learning why the regulation is there - as they say "regulations are written in blood". Keep up the banger videos :)

[@theravenseye9443]

I will..!!

[@stevenmacdonald9619]

In Africa they are written blood. Those words dry, and then they are written again over the top, they dry..... and so on.

[@grahamnalepa4622]

I love that last sentence dude... " As expected, no believable answer was ever forthcoming " . That's poetry in motion. 😉

[@Straswa]

Disgusting, I cannot believe the African government didn't attempt a recovery of the Le Joola and give the families more closure. RIP to the victims and condolences to their families. Great vid Raven's Eye, thanks for bringing this tragedy to light.

[@Roscoe.P.Coldchain]

How will it bring any closure? I don’t agree there relatives have gone and can’t see how a recovery of a ship makes any difference

[@cplcabs]

you can't believe the African government didn't attempt a recovery? Tell me youy are from the US without telling me you are from the US. Firstly, there is no African government, Africa is a continent with a lot of countries. Secondly, its no real surprise that the Le Joola has not been raised, this is Senegal, its not a rich country and certainly does not have the money needed to spend raising a ship which could be spent on other things for the people and lining politicians pockets.

[@bigdmac33]

I wasn't aware of this tragedy. Thank you for creating this video.

[@steven2212]

Nothing has changed in these countries, there is no such thing as safety standards.

[@bb-ballistics1706]

Saving money is more important than lives to them.

[@chatteyj]

@@bb-ballistics1706 This wasn't a saving money example more like a making money example

[@bb-ballistics1706]

@@chatteyj same thing. Money before lives.

[@johnscanlon2598]

Imagine them out there flying planes around !!! That’s some scary shit right there

[@mrdojob]

And judging by the thousands who choose to get on such a heavily overloaded ship, the passengers clearly didn't care about their lives too. What's the point of even having safety standards when thousands of people look at a ship like that and think "Nothing wrong here"

[@baeyonetta]

This is what I love about your channel. You bring to light the tragedies that need to be known.

[@elleterskelter9529]

I love that these are so short so I can learn a lot in not a lot of time. I hope your channel grows to the point that you can do this full time because I already know I'm going to have watched all of these in like 48 hrs

[@yorkshiremen1]

This story encompasses everything that is wrong with Africa it is so sad. Thanks for making the video.

[@greyfells2829]

We were doing shit like this in the west a hundred years ago still, so I wouldn't be too hard on Africa for having corrupt captains and cut corners. Look up the Sewol Ferry accident, happened in Korea about a decade ago I think, and that country is the opposite of Africa.

[@sigisoltau6073]

@A Y Not all of us Africans are like that. I'm a Namibian of German descent. My great grandparents moved to Namibia in the early 1950s. My grandparents moved to Luderitz, a small town along the coast in the 70s. Now, many people are decent, at least the ones I know, but there are many who are, I'm sorry to say, stupid. They can obviously see how corrupt our government, especially the main political party is, yet they keep voting for them. Every year millions of dollars are being pocketed, millions that are supposed to go to developing the country. Then again I can't put all the blame solely on our government. For decades now Germany has been paying reparations to Namibia because this whole genocide almost 100 years ago. A lot of this money is being pocketed by officials in our government, so obviously, yet Germany does nothing about it.

[@sigisoltau6073]

@A Y True. But it doesn't mean that all people here are corrupt or "idiots" and I use that term loosely. In general Namibia is ok, not perfect but still, it's my home. Look past the corruption and stupidity, and Namibia is a rather beautiful country. Luderitz for example, and the area around the town has a rich history. Most of us here have taken advantage of that and advertised it as a tourist area.

[@NoJusticeNoPeace]

Ah, I knew I wouldn't have to search the comments far to find the huddle of bigots. Africa isn't a nation, it's a vast continent with a massive array of widely varying cultures. Most of the violence and tumult is the result of Western colonialist carpet-baggers deliberately inciting ethnic and nationalist strife when they pulled up stakes or were driven out in order to keep their victims from organizing against them, and every attempt to settle things down results in the West selling arms to whichever side can steal money to buy them, then dumping "aid" on local markets to drive small farmers out of business so big agri-corps can snap up their land and use it to grow cheap food for Western tables.

[@stephenhumphrey7935]

@@NoJusticeNoPeace I knew I wouldn't have to search the comments far to find people blaming colonialism. Most countries that were colonised, have gained independence in the 50,60,70s. I mean look at South Korea, Singapore, China, they were all poor in the 50s, now look at them. As for stirring up hatred, you guys do it better than anybody, look at Rwanda, DR Congo and a dozen others. What you said about the West supplying arms is wrong, have you noticed that nearly 90% of arms in Africa are Russian and Chinese. The reason Africa is so poor is because of corruption, cronyism, and sheer incompetence.

[@sy-rahnefertari4698]

Thank you for covering this. My family has a personal connection to this ship. I have made the trip across that river many times. The water still churns above the ship on the river bed. It’s haunting! My husband was set to board that day, but, was delayed. Babies were still tied to their mother’s backs as the drown. People heard banging and screaming for hours! Help me! Help me! The government of Senegal refused to allow volunteers to erect the ship! The rituals that must be conducted during death according to local traditions were never able to be performed as they require the actual body. This has left a huge gap, particularly, to the ethnic group Diola/ Jola of which the ship was named for. While the focus is generally on the Titanic and other ships with less casualties, Le Joola is hardly known.

[@anotherrandomasian]

This channel is probably one of my new favorite. Just a straight story with no crap from the creator covering the real story itself. Can’t wait to see more unknown and interesting stories from you. Also I suggest maybe doing a video on the Dona Paz, AKA the “Asian Titanic?”

[@littlespinycactus]

To those who have commented- some rather waspishly, most just pedantically- on the port/starboard issue, consider this: She capsized and, in the face of the tragic loss of so many lives, which way she rolled is scarcely relevant . Kudos, Ravenseye.

[@sps6374]

I was growing up in Senegal at the time and you can’t possibly comprehend the impact of that tragedy in the collective mind without knowing that there were only 10 million people living in the country at the time, most in joint families of 3 generations and more, so losing 2000 lives meant that everyone was somehow acquainted with victims to a certain degree. All in Dakar and in the whole southern half of the country either knew someone who’d died, or a family in mourning. Another factor that added to the collective trauma was the number of tweens and teenagers aboard the ship, whose families would’ve rather sent to visit relatives in the school break by ferry, because it was quicker, straighter, safer and overall easier to navigate by children travelling on their own than the tortuous roads, uncomfortable vehicle, vehicle changes and border crossings that a land journey entailed. It wouldn’t surprise me if a quarter of the schools in the country lost students that day, and perhaps every single one in the capital. To us at the time, the collective mental and emotional wound was on par with a massive terrorist attack or a sudden invasion - the Joola (pronounced “djoh-la”, not “jew-la”) tragedy really shook the whole nation.

[@kevingantz2230]

Found your Channel yesterday. Been binge watching ever since. Amazing work sir! I look forward to seeing more.

[@Kaidhicksii]

MASSIVELY overloaded and with a flat shallow draft. No wonder this ferry sank, and it happened less than three months before I was born. The worst part is that, even with her draft, it sounded like she was a solid, well-built ship. An 11-year life of dutiful service speaks for itself. She was simply pushed way beyond her limits. Why was she apparently the only ferry running the route, and why were so many people allowed to board when she was very clearly listing very heavily to starboard? The main answer sounds somewhere along the lines of a greedy government. Not too surprising. This is one of those many accidents in history that absolutely should not have happened. My heart goes out to those who drowned inside her.

[@jimmynoneya2584]

I found channel this morning leaving for work at 8:00. Halfway through the first video I was a subscriber. I have now watched every video on this channel and I love it. So it's time for you to get to work buddy as I require more LOL thank you for all of your efforts I look forward to your next upload.

[@MamaLinz123]

What a fabulous channel, covering little known incidents. Subbed!

[@sjoerdsaaman1162]

That Ferry was not listing to port, she was listing to starboard.

[@sleazymeezy]

Sometimes photos are flipped, captain.

[@theravenseye9443]

Yes - I saw that too, but in all the sources I read when doing the research they all said she capsized on her port side. Maybe the centre of gravity shifted once she had cast off?

[@sjoerdsaaman1162]

@@sleazymeezy If that were the case, the ship’s name on 03:44 would have been flipped too.

[@sjoerdsaaman1162]

@@theravenseye9443 Yes, that might be a plausible explanation.

[@leifvejby8023]

@@sleazymeezy And the name of the ship isn't, landlubber.

[@canadasleftcoast.5744]

The Dona Paz is still the worst peacetime maritime disaster. It's suspected that over 4,300 people died and 24 survived. Plus 11 deaths on the Vector, the ship that the Dona Paz collided with.

[@therealuncleowen2588]

Excellent video about a terrible tragedy. Thank you.

[@lyndalane]

just found this channel......lovely cant stop watching....obsessed. hahahahh many thanks.

[@donkeydan5996]

Fantastic job on this channel, I just binged 15 of your videos 👊🏻👊🏻

[@jenniferk9242]

Just found your channel! Great narration, you're detailed, informative and compassionate. The few videos I've seen so far have really good accompanying photos and imagery as well. And wonderful lesser known stories. I think you're doing an amazing job, and thank you for all of the time and effort it takes to put these videos together. Hope your channel continues to grow and succeed, best of luck to you!

[@theravenseye9443]

Thank you for your compliments!

[@jenniferk9242]

@@theravenseye9443 good work deserves to be acknowledged!

[@mattc.310]

Your treatment of a few more known disasters would be interesting to see and draw more people to the channel. The lesser known incidents are what drew me here and your treatment of them got me to subscribe so never give those up. When I first saw the name of your channel I thought how strange. It now makes perfect sense.

[@suzieb8366]

Just found your channel and very impressed.....your narration, editing, deep investigation and the fact you cover some really worldwide disasters that may have been forgotten but for your uploads is amazing. You have another subscriber...well done, good luck with channel.

[@TheOceanChannel2]

Right as I thought no one was going to make a video on this. Nice work!

[@theravenseye9443]

Thanks - I think these stories need telling, if we can ever learn from our mistakes..

[@Purpleguy1929]

Thank you for making this video for this ferry disaster

[@hound3000]

If I see a ship listing like that, I would feel scared to board it.

[@hughie522]

Thanks for covering this sad story in such good detail ;).

[@theravenseye9443]

It's an awful story, but one that is worth telling I think..

[@donnamarielandry1649]

I just discovered your channel! Your videos are most interesting & your presentation of the subject is engaging. And, I learn from you! Thank you & Blessings.

[@shantereed]

Thank you for sharing this event. It’s one I’ve never heard of. I was always fascinated by the titanic story and this seems even more dramatic unfortunately.

[@Tom8201]

Life imitates the Poseidon Adventure though no one trapped inside the hull got out.

[@jkhtravelrn]

When I think of a ferry, I think of the ones I’ve been on. My parents took us to Europe a few times. We took a ferry across the English Channel. I’ve also taken a ferry to visit my cousins who lived in Friday Harbor, Washington (part of the San Juan islands). We left from Anacortes, Washington with our vehicle, and the ferry was never full, especially full like this one, or many others like it that have capsized. So when I do hear about a ferry sinking, I don’t picture the one in this story. However, I will now!

[@Trump985]

I’m amazed that any captain or crew would have gotten underway with a list like that! It’s bad enough that the vessel was overloaded but this is a third world country and there probably wasn’t the same risk of losing one’s license if they even had licenses. But to knowingly get underway with what appears to be a 15 degree list! A 15 degree list is an abandon ship event!

[@STScott-qo4pw]

i may as well say it... Welcome to post-colonial africa!

[@chrisperrien7055]

That is everyday in the 3rd world. "Bike crash kills 20 or bus crash kills 200 or train crash kills 2000" my first thought is "how did they manage to fit 20 people on a bicycle? " LOL, or whatever. I laugh but the real callousness resides in the cultures that live that way.

[@Gmthekiller]

@@chrisperrien7055 your comment reeks of prejudice and ignorance

[@Mannwhich]

@@Gmthekiller How so? What part of what he said wasn't true? When people get together in large groups, common sense and intelligence always goes out the window, in favor of a hive-mind, group think mentality.

[@puredog3804]

​@@chrisperrien7055Either you're very ignorant or just prejudiced and pretending as if the west hasn't had tragedies like this, numerous of them

[@annehersey9895]

This is almost the exact same thing as happened to that horrible ferry accident in the Philippines! Three times-at least-the number of passengers, life jackets locked up, no life boats etc.

[@faabulousmina]

I was 5 when this happened i can still hear our neighbors cry for their relatives one of them in particular kept screaming Issa is gone. Absolutely heart breaking I was doing a research to reeducate my self cause I dont think this is something people should forget 💔 Thank you for the video

[@donprice9050]

Never heard of this until now. Thanks for making this video.

[@Joypyf]

I know so much about the Titanic but am surprised to hear about this! Never heard anything about this! Thanks for covering!

[@whoohaaXL]

The worst non-military Maritime disaster was the MV Dona Paz in the Philippines. With twice the amount dead. Nearly 4,000.... Just for those who wanted to know what the first was.

[@theresahs5956]

I'm so glad that I came across your channel! You have a new subscriber! 💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

[@scooby1992]

Another great video , but what a tragic disaster and one I had never heard of . The only ones I remember were in Europe , the Costa Concordia , the Herald of Free Enterprise and the Marchioness

[@Goat_Lord]

I’ve been researching this case for quite some time, and I haven’t seen a lot of these photos, nor have I heard some of this information. Good video.

[@theravenseye9443]

Thanks

[@Goat_Lord]

@@theravenseye9443 One small correction, though, the tragedy is the 3rd deadliest Peacetime maritime disaster in history. The first is the Doña Paz disaster, which killed at least 4,386 people, and the second is the SS Kiangya, a tragedy even more forgotten than the Le Joola. Anywhere from 2,750 people to 3,920 people could have perished. The deadliest maritime disaster of all time is the Wilhelm Gustloff, which killed at least 9,500.

[@theravenseye9443]

Yes, "The Kiangya" - the one that mysteriously blew up. I have looked at that tragedy before but found very little information on it. Thanks for your info....

[@robwilgenhof4386]

Your Investigative Journaling is top notch Sir ….thank you.

[@elizabethsohler6516]

Was anyone else surprised that the flat bottom of the boat didn't seem to help this situation? Another thing. It boggles the mind to think how much good might be done with 27 million almost anywhere in Africa, and they spent it on a STATUE? Unbelievable.

[@wht-rabt-obj]

Just found your channel and I'm digging it 👍 Subscribed!

[@theravenseye9443]

Awesome, thank you!

[@a-a-ronbrowser1486]

That’s crazy! I was stationed in Dakar in 03/04 and I had never heard this story

[@omnibussy]

this channel is going to do well, i can tell, and so I'd like to say this before this video gets a shit ton of eyeballs on it: - it's fair to not jump to blaming the captain for the overcrowding. if you know how public services and any form of govt-funded public transit works in Francophone Africa, there is a very good chance the captain had less authority over his ship than would normally be expected and it is very likely he had no control over the amount of tickets being sold once they reduced the ship's trips to just once a week. I'd be more surprised if he hadn't tried to push back and then been berated into submission for bringing it up at all. But he's dead and it is very convenient to lay the blame at his feet-it's what the government did, after all. - overcrowding forms of transit that should absolutely not be overcrowded is, sadly, extremely common in the global South. it gets esp bad and reckless in Africa and south Asia. the way this tragedy developed does not shock me at all as an African person. and pointing out something like the danger of overcrowding or the listing to the crew or ppl responsible for loading passengers would have done absolutely nothing. i have to assume people tried that since several people did not board after seeing how full the boat was. - some of y'all are going to be shocked that people still got on even after seeing a boat this clearly overcrowded. keep in mind that if you know nothing about ships from personal experience and haven't had a reason or opportunity to find the general info that would lead you to realize how dangerous this situation was, you would see that the boat is still loading people and assume it *must* be safe-otherwise they would cancel the trip or kick people off. - fuck African leadership. they regularly let us die by the hundreds due to their own negligence and callousness on a daily basis. they don't stay in power because the general public trusts them, so i hope for the love of fuck that no one tries to blame this shit on average Sengalese folks, the people actually affected by this needless tragedy.

[@ClefairyRox]

My eyes almost popped out of my head at the photo showing the overcrowded ferry. How could anyone even move on that boat??? I get terrible anxiety in crowds as it is, and add that to the dangers of the ocean (and the fact that the Le Joola was visibly listing even before she left port) I would have kept my feet firmly on shore. This was pure negligence and greed, IMO. The Le Joola should never have been allowed to carry that many people.

[@Ozymandias1]

It reminded me of one of those Indian trains with people sitting on the roof.

[@felixcat9318]

As horrific as that image was, remember that even with that truly horrendous list and dangerous overcrowding, the ferry then took on a further 200 passengers and everything they carried! Because it was overloaded by three times the maximum number of passengers, the vessel would have sat deeper into the sea than the Plimsoll Line, putting hull openings that much closer to the water, which could enter, uncontained! This would also seriously affect the Downflooding Angle, which would be even more critical with such a bad list. It is a certainty that no vehicles or cargo was secured, meaning that as the vessel listed, cargo shifted to that side, causing an increasing loss of stability from which the vessel could not recover.

[@kvltizt]

You’ll have a lot more subs soon, this is good stuff

[@theravenseye9443]

Thanks - I appreciate the positive comment!

[@caninecurry5823]

Wow, it's hard to imagine the scale of that much suffering.

[@Electriceye1984bySam]

Briefly remember this sinking, thank you for the video👍🏻👌🏻 Very sad it isn’t remembered well.

[@andrewbeer4715]

It frustrates me greatly that big events that don't happen in the UK or even in the western world often get passed over in news reports. We all share this world together and the lives of these 2000 people should be as important as anyone else's . Alas, in the news media, I'm more likely to hear of some petty showbiz news, than of a tragedy like this happening a very long way away from home.

[@jkhtravelrn]

When I think of a ferry, I think of the ones I’ve been on. My parents took us to Europe a few times. We took a ferry across the English Channel. I’ve also taken a ferry to visit my cousins who lived in Friday Harbor, Washington (part of the San Juan islands. We left from Anacortes, Washington with our vehicle, and the ferry was never full, especially full like this one, or many others like it that have capsized. So when I do hear about a ferry sinking, I don’t picture the one in this story. However, I will now!

[@peronik349]

A legitimate question that many might ask is "why get into a boat that already seems to be overloaded?" This may come from a character trait of the Senegalese people that I saw during the many months I spent there. The people of Senegal are good-natured and positive people; "no problemo" seems to be their leitmotif. Most of the time this does not pose any problems, and this is the charm of this country. On the other hand, when loading (on trucks in particular), it is difficult to see that their "no probemo" side is a bit extreme. I have already seen trucks loaded at 2X the legal load; the load exceeding 1.50 meters on each side and 2.5 meters above the cabin; and if you are worried, you will be answered with a good-natured tone: "no problem; everything passes". Another example of this side "no problemo" on the roads the roads code (inherit from the French) and its signposts seems to be there only for their decorative side :)

[@2anthro]

Not just the Senegalese.

[@annegrey3780]

i can't "like" this but I really appreciate you covering this. I've never heard of it, so tragic.

[@cadenschmidt6877]

I am absolutely obsessed with videos like this, but they just make me feel so bad

[@mikemhoon]

I wouldn’t have got on that thing! It looked like it was sinking while it was being loaded!

[@plutoniumpie]

Cool disaster man, awesomely neat!

[@JGCR59]

She was the largest (and one of the last) ships ever to be constructed at Germersheim which is very far inland on the river Rhine. By tonnage vs kilometers upriver probably the most unlikely ship ever built

[@RangerHouston]

Horrifying. Absolutely horrifying. My heart breaks for those who were trapped, their fate’s pretty much sealed.

[@steve-marsh]

Horrific! but the most shocking thing is how small that ship was compared to the number of people! I don't know the politics and culture, but surely the captain is ultimately responsible for souls onboard. Sadly, the buck must stop with him?

[@janentomenkafka]

Roll-on roll-off ferries are floating coffins at the best of times. Even a small amount of water on the car deck and/or shifting cargo has sunk such ships without much warning and within minutes. The Joola was not a very big ship with its gross tonnage of 2100 tons. If there were 1400 more passengers than allowed, you easily had an extra 100 tons on the upper decks. She probably did not need a lot of listing to flip over. Tragic...

[@CJM-rg5rt]

The Wilhelm Gustloff wasn't military and 9,400 (mostly civilians) died. A drunken Soviet submarine captain sank it during WW2.

[@CJM-rg5rt]

@JZ's BFF I kinda felt bad writing that but it's the truth. They weren't no stoic, perfect and precise Germans, Russia likes it's people in a generally unprepared and delirious state at all times.

[@I_luv_french_fries]

Ooh my word this was horrific.. how is there not a movie about this? I imagine it would be huge like The Titanic no? The ship never should have left port.

[@colemarie9262]

This must be beyond infuriating for the families of the victims, and I'm honestly disgusted that I've never even heard of this. Shameful.

[@terrack3005]

To be fair a lot of those victims only have themselves to blame, utterly idiotic boarding that vessel seeing the state of it.

[@colemarie9262]

@@terrack3005 did you miss that whole part about how this one and only ship was a literal lifeline for the people living there, or.....?

[@terrack3005]

@@colemarie9262 Yeah and look how it turned out...or did you miss that part?

[@rabbitss11]

Just one look at how the Le Joola was listing before it even embarked says everything you need to know, absolute madness and an accident waiting to happen

[@NiiteLyte]

I always loved the boat, it's very pretty and for some reason I've always been interested in it more than any other ferries and ferry disasters.

[@robertely686]

I'd love to see you do a video about Trafigura dumping waste in the Ivory Coast in 2006. There was a super injunction by British courts to prevent reporting on it, so you might still not be able to.

[@PiXie232]

I just read up on it.. very interesting case. I had no idea that happened. When they dumped that toxic waste, it harmed over 100,000 people to the point they had to seek medical attention for how bad it was- and 17 people died. That is A LOT of people. Who still have problems with it to this day. And of course the mega-corporation was never “technically” held liable. I’d love to see him do a video on it as well. I’m sure he could dig up a lot of information on it. I found a ton of articles and videos out there. (I don’t think the injunction went over well at all.. lol) Very tragic situation all around, for something that was entirely preventable.

[@leeboy26]

The super injunction was overturned I believe about a month after Trafigura's libel lawyers attempted to silence The Guardian.

[@DR3ADER1]

It's much worse when you consider that the person who was representing the Ivorian public affected by this act of environmental negligence, Martyn Day (a former head of Greenpeace UK until 2008 might I add) was found Guilty of EMBEZZLING £6 MILLION of the settlement funds in 2016.

[@georgej.dorner3262]

3:40 Looks like a list to starboard...threatening to fall over on the port.

[@anthonyellis987]

Why was the ferry allowed to leave with such a list? I can imagine that it rolled over so fast that there wasn't time to send an SOS. It RIP to those who died in an preventable disaster.

[@lewisdoherty7621]

I wouldn't be surprised that the vehicles and other cargo weren't secured in an operation like that. Once there was a bad tilt, the vehicles and cargo just slid to the low side shoving the center of gravity over.

[@donaldsalkovick396]

Maybe. But the number of people on board was probably why

[@cplcabs]

This is Africa, there is such sloppiness across the whole continent.

[@robertsontirado4478]

Overcrowding is the case, I kinda wish I’ve never heard of this tragedy.

[@fordguy8792]

You can't really compare such flagrant disregard for safety to a freak collision. I guess the comparison stems from the loss of life? Still... I can't believe the captain set sail with so many people and such a freakish list! That photo at the dock gave me chills.

[@DaughterofLir]

Partly the loss of life, but also the widespread and ingrained memory of Titanic embedded in our consciousness. Barely a day goes by here in the UK without some mention of Titanic, but ask people about La Joola and you'll get blank looks. Even the sinking of Doña Paz isn't widely known here. So back to my point: we don't know about sinkings of ships that aren't European or American, even where the deaths exceed those on Titanic. And we really should know. Kudos to Raven's Eye for bringing this to our attention.

[@mrdojob]

@@DaughterofLir We don't know about these sinking's because the passengers were as incompetent as the crew. Sinking's like this are no accident. What rational person looks at such overloaded ships and think they're safe? This sinking along with Dona Paz was the choice of the passengers and crew.

[@A__Mina]

@@mrdojob unfortunately many were young/ poor people. Not a good excuse but I understand the desperation although extremely regrettable.

[@mrdojob]

@@A__Mina I feel sorry for the kids who had no choice but to get on board bit I can't help but feel little sympathy for the passengers. They literally piled on the ship until they physically couldn't fit inside and had to go outside on the decks. All the warning signs were they and they chose to ignore them. Pure negligence really from captain to passengers.

[@windshipboyd6600]

@@mrdojob as someone who has been going to Senegal since 2003 and doing that Dakar-Casamance back and forth I can tell you that the road is also very long and dangerous and especially at that time when you had to take ( a very overcrowded )ferry through Gambia, there just weren't a lot of safe options for people. I know the students probably had to be back at university for a certain date and could risk losing their spot or their housing ( VERY hard to find in Dakar), others probably had food that would perish if they didn't get to Dakar to sell.... There are so many reasons many people probably didn't feel they had a choice but to get on board.... plus many had already paid and getting a reimbursement is close to impossible.... and as for those who let all those people board, they did it for monetary reasons. They were also to blame, amongst many, from the bottom to the top. But I hate to blame the victims of this tragedy, may they rest in peace. What a horrible way to die.

[@elevategambia4079]

This is very sad. It is pure negligence

[@figgeberglund4145]

The ticket income from only this trip was probably higher than the ferry was worth. “So… 🤷‍♀️ no disaster at all”. (My thoughts about the owners perspective of course)

[@jddr.jkindle9708]

Very sad, many safety rules broken, some learned.

[@everobinson3614]

Exactly! Many rules were broken, because of greed.

[@dennis2376]

Incompetence, greed, and lack of trained professional rescue service, sad. Thank you.

[@atribecalledjudah5436]

You be keeping it real.

[@gafrers]

Never heard of this tragedy before this video. Absolutely awful and preventable. 23 meters deep, with a beam of 12m means even if collapsed the keel is no more than 15 meters down. Insanely shallow. They could have re-floated and recovered the ship no problem at all, with a minimal budget compared to the Massive turd called statue.

[@PiXie232]

Right? That statue is bloody awful..😩

[@Kitty-mb4hy]

@@PiXie232 what statue though?

[@basbleupeaunoire]

I've seen lots of shipwreck videos, but this one really freaks me out.

[@luvondarox]

2002. Geez. The fact that it's so recent just...

[@bobg1685]

Well done.