Alevizos Klaudatos, head of Epirotiki Lines, was quoted as saying: "Of course the crew members assigned to the boats have to enter first in order to assist the embarkation of the passengers ... as regards the captain abandoning the vessel, this is untrue and he has maintained his position throughout in assisting the rescue in the most effective way". Epirotiki Lines had lost two other ships within the three years preceding the sinking: the company's flagship "Pegasus" only two months before, and MV "Jupiter", three years before.