Captain arrested: Data suggests collision
Karl Gauti Hjaltason, the Police Chief in the Westman Islands. To the right is the boat that capsized and there is a visible collision mark on the boat. Composite image
Captain and two pilots of the cargo ship Longdawn have been arrested on suspicion of abandoning a man in a shipwreck.
The ship’s navigational data, the coastal fishing boat’s navigational data, and the approach of Longdawn indicate that the ship is almost certain to have capsized the coastal boat, according to Karl Gauti Hjaltason, the police chief in the Westman Islands.
Interpreters at the hearing
Hjaltason says that the men have the legal status of defendants and that interpreters are needed in the current hearing. Two of the men are from Russia, and the third is a native of Asia, according to Hjaltason.
The ship was summoned to the port by the Icelandic Coast Guard and men were arrested when they reached shore, according to his report.
Will reveal whether they knew
“It will be clear soon whether the men will be released after the hearing. It will depend on their testimony,” says Hjaltason.
“It looks quite certain that the ship has crashed into this boat. There is a collision on the course and their paths are moving together at this time,” he says, adding that maritime data shows this.
“It also needs to be clarified whether people knew about this.”
