Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - Pamir and Passat - the end of an era . . .

Among the experiences gained from the Pamir shipwreck, it is worthwhile taking into account the loss of the boats, which could not be lowered due to the angle of the ship’s list during the wreck. Today, fortunately, vessels carry a larger number of inflatable life rafts automatically activated. Mention should also be made of the little utilization of experiences from other accidents where the storage of the rescue equipment is concerned, as two of the inflatable rafts of the three carried by the vessel, could not be found at the time of the loss.

Likewise, consideration should be given to the apparent lack of expediency with which the Commander ordered to abandon ship, considering the youthfulness of the crew, which is evident in the later reaction of the crew, the majority of whom died, the survivors suffering the wants which are described in this account; and their behaviour shows that they lacked the mental preparation to face up to adversity with stamina.

It is interesting to note Hans-Georg Wirth’s comments to the press: He declared that, on abandoning the ship, he found himself in the water in a group of 15 individuals, who improvised a type of raft with their life vests. This enabled them to remain afloat, until luck allowed them to come across one of the boats adrift, which in desperation they caught up with and boarded.

Wirth also commented to the reporters: "...I thought of nothing else but survival and keeping alive at all costs." Doubtless very normal, but notable as, according to his statements, he wanted to keep alive especially because he had promised his little sister that he would return home safe and sound, and he did not want to disappoint her.

This brings to mind a recent incident when a person suffered an armed assault and was shot in the lung. When lying wounded on the ground, feeling the flow of blood and hearing a strange sound like a balloon deflating, he remembered that someone, some time before, on seeing the long life line on his palm, had told him that he would live for many years and this, looking back later, had kept his spirits up and contributed to his recovery.

What is worthwhile remembering from these experiences is that, although one may seem trivial and the other supported by a strong bond of affection, both allowed a person in a death trance to recover the strength to try and struggle for survival.