Two charged in fatal ferry collision off Tjörn

A captain and a pilot have been indicted for manslaughter and negligence following a fatal collision between a Norwegian cargo ship and a recreational boat off Tjörn, which resulted in the deaths of a woman and a child. The Norwegian-flagged bulk carrier Misje Verde collided with the small boat on the evening of July 28.

Neither the 50-year-old captain of the 90-meter vessel nor the Swedish pilot on duty noticed the collision, according to the preliminary investigation. The recreational boat was "almost run over" by the cargo ship, which was traveling at approximately 12 knots at the time of impact, according to a report by the Swedish Maritime Administration.

A woman in her 40s and a child died in the incident, while a man and another child sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized. The indictments include charges of manslaughter, causing bodily harm, and negligence in maritime traffic.

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In this case, the police investigation revealed that the pilot took a very active role in the ship's navigation and accepted that the captain was doing other things on the bridge besides navigation, such as keeping a lookout. Then it is reasonable for the pilot's responsibility for the accident to also be tested by a court.

Both the captain and the pilot deny any wrongdoing. Prosecutor James von Reis noted that it is unusual for a pilot to be indicted. However, he stated that the pilot took an active role in the ship's navigation and allowed the captain to engage in activities other than maintaining a lookout. This, von Reis explained, makes it reasonable for a court to assess the pilot's responsibility.

The investigation was expedited thanks to the police's efforts and access to the ship's "black box" and radar tracking data. This information confirmed that the recreational boat was clearly visible on the bridge's radar displays, a detail that was missed by both defendants.

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Therefore, we now know for sure what could be seen in real-time on the radar screens on the bridge and what was said by those present there. The role distribution between the captain and the pilot has emerged, and not least the important circumstance that the overtaken and hit recreational boat was clearly visible as a radar echo on the displays on the bridge, information that was missed by both defendants.