 According to the "International Herald Tribune", "Avranas said he had known when he left the ship that there were 170 passengers and crew still aboard [but this was] the only way [to] ensure the safety of all those aboard", furthermore "after checking the situation from the shore, he said, he flew back to the ship on a helicopter, intending to go back on board.But the weather was so bad that the helicopter crew advised against boarding".Avranas was quoted in the "New York Times" as saying, "When I give the order abandon ship, it doesn't matter what time I leave.