Four FB crew-members arrested on manslaughter charges after chilling footage shows man being pushed off loading ramp

Four crew-members of a Piraeus-based ferryboat have been arrested and charged with manslaughter and violation of maritime safety provisions after video footage emerged late Tuesday evening showing deck crew violently pushing back a man attempting to enter the vessel from the stern ramp.

The 36-year-old victim is seen in the footage falling into the swirling waters between the departing Blue Horizon ferry and the dock as the ramp is lifted. His body was recovered shortly thereafter.

The skipper of the vessel, two petty officers and the deck officer were arrested by the coast guard, after the ferry boat was recalled to the port of Piraeus some 50 minutes after departing, at 9 p.m. local time, for a regularly scheduled route to the Cretan port city of Irakleio.

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

An initial press release by the coast guard merely referred to the death of the 36-year-old man after he fell in the water while attempting to enter the vessel, and as its mooring lines were untied.

The incident, however, took a dramatic turn later in the evening when the video footage emerged, showing at least two crew-members arguing with the victim and then twice pushing him off the ramp.

It’s also noteworthy – and chilling – that the vessel continued sailing, with the crew making no effort to rescue the man overboard.

A local prosecutor, in fact, instructed the coast guard to order the vessel’s return to Greece’s busiest port.

Moreover, according to media reports, an announcement over the ship’s intercom claimed that the delay in the departure was due to an “incident” at the port and that the crew has no responsibility for the incident.