Four years ago, 21-year-old Dan Dipiero of Canfield lost his life at sea while on a cruise.
That tragedy sparked his parents to fight for legislation that would improve cruise ship safety. This week they scored a victory in that fight, when President Barack Obama signed into law the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act.
The new law does several things, including creating a minimum railing requirement of 42 inches on ships that leave U.S. ports. It also requires peep holes on all cabin doors and video surveillance of deck areas, as well as transparency in reporting missing persons and crimes to the FBI and Coast Guard.
Sue Dipiero, Dan's mother, said these steps are a start, but there is a long way to go.
"It has created some sort of legislation that we can work from now," she said. "We can push for better safeguards. We can push for better legislation. But it's a step off point where you have something to start building on."
She believes there is even more regulation needed for cruise lines and because of the cruise industry lobbying Congress, this bill was severely watered down.
"When this bill was first started, it included 52-inch rails, but it got lowered to 42," she said. "It required that surveillance tapes be monitored. They don't have to be monitored."
For more information on this bill,
click here.
