Many of us will condemn the sanity of those who lose their lives in the pursuit of high-risk adventurers, as had been the case with the Titan submersible, which imploded last week while taking five persons on a visit to the Titanic wreckage.
Many of us will also ridicule the cost of the ticket these Adventurers would pay to embark on such perilous journeys. Their holiday money could have been better used to support health and welfare programmes instead of being spent on such crazy trips.
All said and done, to me, the bravery of these adventurers and other pioneers and explorers is to be applauded. They do what many of us would not dare, and just for that reason, their bravery needs to be celebrated.
For, had it not been for the likes of The Wright Brothers, there would not be air travel today. Had it not been for the ones who died in space programmes, the first man would have never landed on the moon.
And if it were not for the brave people who travelled the seas to chart the waters in dinghy ships of the yesteryears compared to the liners of today, where would crossing the oceans be today.
Vasco da Gama's historic sea route to India was fraught with risks, but that did not stop him from exploring this route. And what about our very first Goan ancestors who travelled to distant lands way back in the 1800s that paved the way for others to seek a living abroad? The very successful explorers like The Colombus', The Livingstones, The Captain Cooks and many others were all preceded by many who lost their lives in pursuit of the holy grails of new lands, new routes and new worlds.
So, condemn not, but celebrate these 5 lives lost in what many of us think is in pursuit of a ridiculous adventure. They could have all taken the easy option and sat at home like us. Born to go where none have been before, this last journey would not have been their only journey. Their lives would have been packed with many journeys on some very high-risk programmes. As billionaires, they were successful businessmen, and this does not come on without taking any risks in life. They are the ones to be admired.
As a final remembrance, a "Big Thanks" to all those adventurers who made it and those who died in the attempt. They should all be remembered in a positive light. Farewell, dear ones. May their souls RIP.
Chris Da Cruz,
London
