Being based in a landlocked nation, the Suisse Atlantique shipping company would often look to Italy for its sea captains, and one of its best was Domenico Lugli, from Liguria.

As soon as Tiger 923‘s Mayday was relayed to him, Lugli ordered his crew to change course and set out in the direction of the estimated ditching site, even though he wasn’t sanguine about the chances of finding anyone alive given the 45° F sea and how violently it was pitching his 12,000-ton vessel. He also now regretted having brought along his wife and 15-year-old daughter.