The Ocean Ranger Disaster

In February of 1982 the mobile oil drilling platform Ocean Ranger, caught in seas 30 metres high off the Grand Banks, sank to the bottom of the sea. Rescue crews arrived in time to see people drowning but were unable to save them. All 84 died. People in Newfoundland were horrified by the accident, which took a number of their friends and relatives. Subsequent investigation revealed that a combination of design flaws and inexperienced crew led to the disaster.