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Ship of shame claims new victim

The Greek shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis resigned on Sep 11 following the death of a man who was pushed into the sea by crew members of the 'Blue Horizon' in Piraeus. The passenger was late but had a ticket. Surveillance cameras recorded how two crew members tried to push the 36-year-old man from the ramp back onto the quay because the ferry bound for Crete had already loosened its lines. In the struggle, the man finally fell into the sea between the stern of the ferry and the harbour wall and drowned in the powerful whirlpools of the ship's engine. The captain of the ferry only returned to the port at the request of the port police. Since then, the ferry has been called the “Ship of Shame” in the Greek media. Experts pointed out that there was an obligation to rescue people overboard and that the ferry should not have left in the first place as long as the ramp was not closed. The Coastguard arrested the captain and three crew members on the evening of the incident. Two crew members have now been released for the time being. However, the captain of the Attica Group ferry “Blue Horizon” and the sailor who is said to have pushed the passenger into the water remained in custody for negligent homicide and failure to provide assistance. According to a voice recording that was published onm Sep 11, the captain of the 'Blue Horizon' claimed the victim “slipped and fell.” The captain admitted to seeing the incident on camera, which clearly shows the victim did not slip, but was pushed by the crew members. “He held on to the ramp, he did not step on it. He just put one foot to get on, but he slipped because the ramp was already lifted up,” claimed the captain. “We are in trouble,” was the last sentence on the voice recording. Early on Sep 11, after the defendants’ testimonies to the investigative magistrate, the prosecutor decided on pre-trial detention for two of the four crew members, including the captain.

Greek ferry crews on strike after passenger was pushed to death

Following the death of a passenger who was pushed overboard by crew members of the 'Blue Horizon', Greek ferry crews have announced a strike on Sep 13. The strike, lasting 24 hours, is in response to safety and labour concerns raised by the PNO union. The union expressed its dissatisfaction with the inadequate implementation of shipping and harbor safety laws and regulations, as well as the overworked crew members and unreasonable ferry sailing schedules. While the union did not directly link these concerns to the crime, it called on the government to take necessary measures to ensure the protection of human life at sea. As a result of the strike, travelers to Greece's popular island destinations should expect disruptions. In response to the incident, the captain of the ferry and three crew members have been arrested and charged.

Man died after falling from ramp of departing ferry

The 36 year old Antonis Kariotis from Agios Nikalaos was pushed into the sea by the crew of the 'Blue Horizon' when he tried to leap onto the departing vessel at the port of Piraeus in the night of Sep 5, 2023. Two crew members, who were standing on the ramp, prevented the man from boarding and appeared to push him backwards. The latecomer tries for a second time to board the vessel, which was bound to Heraklion, and when the crew members violently shoved him backwards, he lost his balance and toppled into the churning sea below where he tried to stay above the water, while sucked below the foaming water due to the power of the ship's propellers. It is not known whether the victim hit his head as a result of falling from the ferry. His body was pulled from the sea a short time later. It is not known whether Kariotis did not possess a ticket for the ferry or was too late boarding as the ship was ready to depart. However, tickets can be issued after the ship’s departure. Reports with videos: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12485847/Horrifying-moment-passenger-pushed-sea-death-ferry-crew-tried-leap-departing-vessel-Greek-port.html https://greekreporter.com/2023/09/06/passenger-dead-pushed-sea-ferry-crew-piraeus-port/