Judge in Split orders detention of first officer of catamaran following collision with sailing vessel
A Split judge has sent a 33-year-old first officer of the catamaran Krilo Eclipse to prison after it collided on Sunday with a sailing vessel carrying a Czech crew. Four people died in the accident.
Judge in Split orders detention of first officer of catamaran following collision with sailing vessel
A court in Split has ordered detention for a 33-year-old first officer of the catamaran Krilo Eclipse after it collided on Sunday morning in the strait between the islands of Brač and Šolta with a sailing vessel carrying a Czech crew. Four people lost their lives in the accident, one person was seriously injured, and two sustained minor injuries.
The first officer denies responsibility for the collision. However, investigators suspect that the man did not have the radar switched on or the warning system engaged during navigation, according to Jutarnji list. According to investigators' claims, the officer did not continuously monitor the situation at sea nor adapt his speed to traffic density, which is why he did not notice the approach of the sailing vessel in time. As a result, he did not take steps to avoid the collision.
The court ordered detention out of concern that the officer could influence seven crew members who were with him on the catamaran at the time of the accident. In the event of a proven criminal offence, the first officer faces a prison sentence of between three and fifteen years, according to N1.
Zvjezdana Baričović, the attorney for the officer, stated that her client explained all the circumstances that preceded the tragic event and that he did everything to avoid the collision. According to his account, the sailing vessel continuously changed course.
Croatian newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija published two new video recordings filmed by one of the passengers on the catamaran immediately after the collision. In one, damage to the sailing vessel is visible, and in the other, a crew member of the sailing vessel is seen floating in blood on the surface of the sea. The newspaper published the second recording in censored form due to sensitive content.
Croatian media previously reported that the captain of the catamaran was not on the bridge at the moment of the accident, which Baričović denied after questioning. According to current knowledge, the sailing vessel was probably operated by another Czech national instead of the hired vessel operator, and this man died in the accident.
After the collision, the sailing vessel sank to a depth of approximately 50 metres. Rescuers found the bodies of three victims on Sunday itself, and the fourth body was recovered from the wreckage later. Four people were transported to hospital.
Source: České noviny (ČTK)
Source: České noviny