Croatian police arrest first officer of catamaran that sank sailing vessel with Czech crew
Croatian police have arrested a 33-year-old first officer of the catamaran Krilo Eclipse on suspicion of a criminal offence against transport safety. Four Czech nationals died in a Sunday collision near Split, and four people were hospitalised.
Croatian police arrest first officer of catamaran that sank sailing vessel with Czech crew
Police arrested a 33-year-old first officer of the vessel Krilo Eclipse on suspicion of a criminal offence against transport safety. The collision occurred on Sunday in the approach to Splitska vrata, when the catamaran struck a sailing vessel with a Czech crew and sank it. Four crew members died in the incident, and four people were taken to hospital.
Police announced on Wednesday that a crew member had been detained on suspicion of committing a criminal offence. According to information conveyed by public television HRT, the individual in question is the first officer who was on the bridge with the helmsman at the time of the incident. The State Prosecutor's Office will now decide on his detention.
Vice-Prime Minister and Interior Minister Davor Božinović confirmed this.
"Based on the facts established to date, there is suspicion that during the catamaran's passage, all measures necessary to prevent a collision were not taken, and in that regard safety regulations were violated," Božinović said, without revealing the identity or rank of the arrested person.
According to Božinović, the captain of the catamaran was probably not in command of the vessel at the time of the incident. A first officer is a person who can assume command of the vessel in the event of the captain's absence.
The minister added that there is no information that the captain of the sailing vessel, which was sailing under a French flag with an eight-member Czech crew, had left Croatia.
The incident occurred on Sunday near Split, and the consequences were severe: four Czech nationals died, whilst four people were transported to hospital for treatment.
Source: České noviny