Two Lives Lost: Cargo Ship Master and Pilot Charged
A 5,310 dwt Norwegian vessel struck a small pleasure boat in Hakefjord, killing a mother and daughter on July 28.
A Norwegian cargo ship’s master and pilot have been charged with negligence after their vessel struck and sank a small pleasure boat off Sweden’s west coast, killing a mother and daughter.
Despite the smaller vessel being clearly visible on the cargo ship’s radar, neither the master nor the Swedish pilot took evasive action. The pleasure boat was pulled under the Misje Verde’s hull, flooding and sinking in approximately 20 metres of water between Katten and Lövön.
Of the four people on board the pleasure boat, only the father and son survived. The bodies of the mother and daughter were later recovered, along with the wreckage of the boat.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Radar Evidence and Negligence Charges: Master and Pilot
Swedish prosecutors, led by Senior Prosecutor James von Reis, have built their case on data from the Misje Verde’s Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) and radar logs. According to von Reis, the pleasure boat was “clearly visible as a radar echo on the bridge displays” before the collision. The VDR also revealed that the pilot was actively navigating the vessel while the master attended to unrelated tasks on the bridge.
“Investigators now know what could be seen on the radar in real time and what was said by the people on the bridge.”
James von Reis·Senior Prosecutor
The charges stem from alleged violations of two key International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs): Rule 5 (failure to maintain a proper lookout) and Rule 13 (failure to keep clear while overtaking). Both the master and pilot deny the charges, which include causing death and bodily injury through negligence, as well as negligence in maritime traffic. The trial is scheduled to begin on September 10.
Rescue Efforts and Aftermath
The collision triggered a large-scale rescue operation involving five boats from the Swedish Sea Rescue Society, as well as assets from the Swedish Maritime Administration, Coast Guard, and local police and ambulance services. The search for the two missing individuals was initially suspended overnight due to darkness but resumed the following morning. The Misje Verde did not stop after the collision until ordered to do so by the Coast Guard.
The master, a Russian citizen, was detained shortly after the accident due to concerns about flight risk or interference with the case.
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