The Titanic Could Have Been Saved by a Ship Just 10 Miles Away
The SS Californian was only 10 miles from the Titanic when it sank, but its radio operator had gone to bed and missed all distress calls.
About this fact
On the night of April 14, 1912, the SS Californian was stopped in ice just 10 miles from where the Titanic would sink. The ship's radio operator, Cyril Evans, had tried to warn the Titanic about ice conditions earlier but was rudely told to 'shut up' by Titanic's busy radio operator who was sending passenger messages. Evans went off duty at 11:30 PM, just 10 minutes before the Titanic hit the iceberg. The Californian's crew saw the Titanic's distress rockets but thought they were celebration fireworks. Captain Stanley Lord decided not to wake the radio operator. If Evans had stayed on duty or been woken up, the Californian could have reached the Titanic in time to save many more lives. This near-miss haunted the maritime community and led to 24-hour radio watch requirements.