COBRA

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Course/Position

Latest news

Cobra was close to Bruma at the time of the last signal

if it is definitively confirmed that the 'Bruma' and 'Cobra' collided, that does not mean establishing liability for this accident on the part of the 'Cobra' crew, stated their lawyer. Alejandro Espinoza. He told the Biobío Prosecutor's Office that they could have been involved in the accident off the coast of Coronel. The lawyer specified that the 'Cobra' was positioned in an area similar to the 'Bruma' at the same time it stopped transmitting, following a georeferencing report prepared by the Cunlogan company. The document showed that the last signal emitted by the 'Bruma' was at 3:08 a.m. and that the signal it was supposed to send at 3:17 a.m. never materialized, so the shipwreck could have occurred during that time. At that moment, the 'Cobra' was 72 meters from the boat's last reported position. Based on this information, there was no certainty, but a reasonable presumption of an impact between the two ships, though all of the 'Cobra's collision avoidance equipment was activated and operational, and the captain, pilot, and lookouts were attentive to the navigation conditions. The lawyer also referred to the 'Bruma's potential responsibility in the sinking, as the crew had failed to inform maritime authorities and other vessels in the area of ​​its position. The Public Prosecutor's Office's investigation must technically analyse whether both vessels had the operating systems required by regulations and whether their crews acted in accordance with the obligations imposed by navigation regulations. The 'Cobra's detention period will end on April 23, but the prosecutor in charge of the case, Marcela Cartagena, has requested an extension to conduct additional expert examinations. However, he acknowledged that the resources available at the police level are insufficient to cover the needs of a case of this magnitude, so the possibility of requesting support from specialized external entities is being evaluated. The National Prosecutor's Office is assessing budget availability.

Cobra to be investigated in dry dock

In an effort to clarify the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the 'Bruma', the families of the missing fishermen have united to take decisive action. Following a meeting with Regional Prosecutor Marcela Cartagena, some doubts have been cleared up and important steps have been taken in the investigation. One of the major developments has been the confirmation that forensic divers from the Underwater Operations Department of the Investigative Police (PDI) have conducted expert examinations on the 'Cobra', which remained in the custody of the San Vicente Harbor Master's Office. These examinations were carried out in response to videos, which showed suspicious movements on the vessel under investigation for its alleged involvement in the sinking of the 'Bruma'. In addition to the investigations carried out by the PDI, the fishermen's families have decided to take additional measures. According to Rafael Poblete, the attorney representing them, they have hired a team of private experts to further clarify what happened in the early hours of March 30. This team is composed of a maritime accident investigation specialist, a shipbuilding engineer, and a mechanic. Poblete also addressed the hypothesis put forward by Blumar, owner of the 'Cobra', regarding the possible involvement of another vessel in the tragedy. However, the attorney ruled out this theory based on the traces found on the fishing vessel. At the meeting with Prosecutor Cartagena, the family members also agreed to hold weekly meetings to stay informed about the progress of the investigation. They also reiterated their request that the expert examinations of the 'Cobra' be conducted in a dry dock, in order to obtain more reliable and exhaustive results.The families of the fishermen will return to Constitución, but will closely monitor the progress of the investigation to find answers to this tragic loss.

Search for missing fishermen ended with an ecumenical ceremony - Cobra crew feeling stigmatized

On Aprl 15, nearly 70 people, including families, colleagues of the fishermen and leaders of the Coronel area, boarded the Navy vessel "Janequeo" to travel to the area where the "Bruma" sank and bid farewell to the seven fishermen who have been missing since March 30. This followed the Navy's decision on April 14 to suspend the search for the seven fishermen after 17 days. They are the skipper José Luis Medel Sepúlveda, José Luis Medel González, his son Juan Jorge Muñoz Balladares, José Fernando Carrasco González, Julio Eduardo Gallardo Díaz, Carlos Hugo Escárate Ramírez and Jonathan Daniel Torres Saldaña. At the site, near the bay of Santa María Island, an ecumenical ceremony was being held aboard the "Janequeo" to bid farewell to the missing fishermen. to pay tribute of reverence and respect to them. The Biobío Prosecutor's Office is leading the investigation targeting the Blumar's "Cobra" and its crew as responsible for the accident. The Executive Branch has also filed a complaint for homicide. Meanwhile, the fishermen's families also filed a complaint for the same crime, in addition to the failure to provide assistance against the captain of the "Cobra". In response to the incident, the crew of the 'Cobra' publsihed a public statement, stated that they were "deeply saddened by the loss of our colleagues, because we are only now in a position to do so. We had not been able to express our pain before.” The crew members acknowledged that they felt stigmatized after the sinking of the 'Bruma', noting that “several of us cannot go out into the streets because we are being pointed at not only as protagonists of the accident, but also as responsible for this tragedy. For us, life is the most valuable thing. Not only ours, but everyone's, especially that of hardworking people like us, with whom we share a profession we love.” Along with this, they reiterated that "we are actively cooperating with the investigation and trust that the causes of this unfortunate accident will be clearly established." Therefore, "we ask for respect for ourselves and, above all, for our families" until the cause of the 'Bruma' sinking is determined.