The Maritime Executive
The police in Copenhagen, Denmark introduced that they’ve formally indicted the helmsman of the cargo ship Scot Carrier on fees of manslaughter ensuing from the collision of his vessel with a Danish ship killing the 2 crewmembers aboard the smaller ship.
The unidentified seafarer is a 30-year-old British citizen who was second officer of the Scot Carrier, a 3,450 gross ton normal cargo provider, and was on obligation because the helmsman when it collided on December 13, 2021, with the smaller Danish vessel, a 180-foot self-sailing barge Karin Høj. He is being charged with negligent manslaughter with aggravating circumstances as a result of in exams after the collision it was decided he was intoxicated together with his blood alcohol degree far above Scandinavia’s strict limits.
In addition to the manslaughter fees, they’re additionally prosecuting him below the penal code for “sailing on” after the collision with out stopping to offer help to the Karin Høj. Swedish and Danish authorities launched a search and rescue mission after the collision, which passed off in a busy sea lane south of the Swedish city of Ystad and the Danish Island of Bornholm. The vessel overturned on account of the collision. Rescue groups situated the physique of one of many two crew from the Danish vessel. They later salvaged the ship, however a second crewmember stays lacking.
The first indication of the accident got here when a Swedish monitoring station obtain a sign from the EPIRB emergency beacon on the Danish vessel. They started investigating and contacted the Scot Carrier, which then returned to the scene of the collision. The vessel later docked in Sweden for the investigation.
Swedish authorities initially detained each the second officer and chief officer from the Scot Carrier, however later launched the chief officer. A Danish courtroom ordered the helmsman held and he was extricated to Denmark in February 2022 to face fees from the collision. He admitted negligence throughout the investigation however denied the aggravated circumstances or inflicting the collision.
The arraignment passed off on June 7 in Copenhagen City Court. The first listening to is scheduled for subsequent week and a verdict anticipated by the top of the month.