Ship collision – Passengers of Viking witnessed the death of Mermaid’s victims

Witness interrogation records of Budapest boat disaster – 29^th May – revealed that not only navigational overtaking rules but boat crossing regulations were also violated by the captain of Viking Sigyn – written by Magyar Nemzet.

According to the journal, details regarding the infringement of encounter, crossing and overtaking regulations and rules will get clarified by the examination and comparison of the witness interrogation records.

According to experts, Sigyn’s captain must have seen Mermaid – via his AIS system, his radar, even by his own eyes – and also that their itineraries intersected. Dispatchers of the river navigation communication channel Navinfo dispatchers also testified this.

Interrogation records described it clearly – Sigyn came from behind, the Mermaid went right ahead of him; latter could change its direction according to the regulations, Sigyn should have slowed down.

Additionally, shipping regulations also clearly state that if the ship’s captain notes the danger of collision, the boat must fire a series of concise sounds.

However, Sigyn’s captain did not even perceive the collision itself.

As the Hungarian news portal Index describes, it is already revealed by the interrogation records that – the American passengers on Viking were shouting to the captain Chaplinsky: “boat, boat, stop!” ; and that he hit a smaller ship. Chaplinsky replied “What?” – “What?”. This happened at 21 o’clock 6 minutes 7 seconds.

Sigyn was called in Russian by the captain of Viking Ingvi going behind at 21 o’clock 9 minutes 57 seconds – “I’m here. Jura, what happened?“ Chaplinskiy answered: “I collided with a boat. Do you see anything behind?” The answer was: “I do not see anything behind you.”

Ingvi also sailed across the watery grave of Mermaid, and over those passengers who dropped to the water from the upper deck – without stopping.

Concerning this factor Zsolt Sógor, victims’ representative of the Mermaid’s operating Panorama Deck Ltd. said to Magyar Nemzet – it is necessary to examine the failure of assistance not only in the case of Yuriy Chaplinsky, but the whole Ingvi’s staff as well.