[QUOTE=powerabout;171328]have lifeboats killed more people than they have saved in the last 20 years?[/QUOTE]
I believe the answer to the question asked is no. As maligned as they maybe in this thread they have saved more people than they have killed. While I do not know the exact numbers 2 incidents come quickly to mind. First, the sinking of the MV Explorer in 2007 when she struck an iceberg. All 91 passengers, 9 guides and 54 crew took to the ship’s (open) lifeboats and were rescued. Secondly, Costa Concordia when she sunk a few years ago had 4229 persons on board the vessel. While the evacuation was chaotic the fact remains 23 of the ship’s 26 lifeboats were launched and the majority of the passengers & crew left the vessel in lifeboats.
This is just my 2 cents. This is not meant to minimize the numerous fatalities that obviously have occurred.