Four crew members charged with manslaughter after incident involving man attempting to board ship.
Tragedy Strikes as Man Drowns After Being Barred from Boarding Ferry
“The mind can’t comprehend it,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his shock and disbelief over the tragic death of a 36-year-old man. The man drowned after being prevented from boarding a ferryboat, allegedly pushed into the water by the crew as the ship sailed away.
Charges of homicide have been filed against three crew members and the captain of the “Blue Horizon” ferry, according to the Greek Reporter.
A viral video captured the heartbreaking moment when Antonis Kariotis desperately tried to board the ferry in the Athens suburb of Piraeus. As Kariotis hurriedly approached the ramp, two crew members blocked his path while another watched.
A struggle ensued between the crew members and Kariotis as they prevented him from boarding, pushing him back to the end of the ramp.
Despite being briefly ashore, Kariotis made another attempt to board. However, he was once again stopped by a crew member. Tragically, as the ship began to depart, he was seemingly pushed off the ramp and into the water.
Passengers on board screamed for help as they witnessed the man in the water. The last crew member to have contact with him was seen looking in the direction of the water as the ferry sailed away.
The shocking video, which contains scenes that may be disturbing to some viewers, was posted on X (formerly Twitter) and can be viewed below.
Βίντεο σοκ: Το πλήρωμα έσπρωξε από το Blue Horizon στον θάνατο τον 36χρονο που σκοτώθηκε στο λιμάνι Πειραιά pic.twitter.com/FdzFTliZLg
— kakajason (@kakajason50) September 5, 2023
The crew member responsible for pushing Kariotis into the water has been charged with manslaughter, possibly with malice. The other two crew members on the deck are facing charges of complicity in manslaughter.
Additionally, the captain has been charged with dangerous interference with maritime traffic, a felony offense.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis expressed his disgust and horror at the tragic end that befell Kariotis in a Facebook post.
“The mind can’t comprehend it, an inconceivable tragedy,” Mitsotakis wrote, emphasizing that this “shameful event does not represent the country we want.”
He pledged that all necessary measures would be taken to ensure justice and accountability in this devastating incident.
Greek Shipping and Island Policy Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis has ordered an investigation into the handling of the incident by the Port Authority of Piraeus.
According to sources in the Port Authority, the ramp should have been raised before the ferry’s engines were started. However, the X video shows turbulence indicating engine operation as Kariotis was attempting to board the ramp.
Minister Varvitsiotis revealed that Kariotis had a valid ticket for the ferry but had left the ship for some reason and was subsequently barred from reboarding.
Following controversial comments made by Varvitsiotis regarding the incident, which were interpreted by some as sympathetic towards the ferry crew, he was forced to resign on Monday, as reported by Reuters.
Varvitsiotis later apologized, clarifying that his remarks had been misinterpreted.
Protest rallies took place at Blue Horizon’s home port of Iraklio, Crete, resulting in a five-hour delay in the ferry’s departure. There were also protests in Kariotis’ hometown of Agios Nikolaos.
Source: The Western Journal
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