Californian

The SS Californian was a British steamship that was in the vicinity of the RMS Titanic when it struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912. The Californian's proximity and its crew's alleged failure to respond to the Titanic's distress signals became a significant point of contention during subsequent investigations.123

While the Californian's crew reported seeing rockets in the distance, they claimed not to have heard any distress calls, as their wireless radio had been turned off for the night. Captain Stanley Lord of the Californian has faced criticism for not taking more decisive action, such as ordering his wireless operator to turn on the radio or attempting to assist the Titanic. However, some argue that the Californian was actually much farther away than reported and that another ship, possibly the Norwegian sealing vessel Samson, was closer to the Titanic. The exact position of the Californian and the extent to which its crew was aware of the Titanic's plight remain subjects of debate.123