Tourist boat capsised in Budapest – did the ship’s captain want to escape in the last minute?

New evidence suggests that the captain of the capsised tourist boat Hableány attempted to turn his ship away from the incoming vessel Viking Sigyn, but failed to do so.

As 24.hu reports, police investigation uncovered new pieces of evidence that lead us to believe that the captain of soon-to-be-sunken sightseeing boat Hableány sensed the danger the last minute and attempted to turn his ship away. At least, this is what seems to be the case after the ship’s wheel was found and examined by experts.

In addition to this,

the ship’s rudder has also been discovered to be in an 11-degree angle which means the captain attempted a last-ditch escape from certain death.

 

To put things into perspective, we have to note that Viking Sygin, the incoming tourist ship weighing 1000 tons, crashed into Hableány, a sightseeing boat weighing 40 tons, with a velocity of approximately 13-14 km/h. The crash virtually ripped Hableány apart, causing a tear from bow to stern. The collision was so loud, apparently, that it was impossible not to hear it on the decks.

The Budapest Police Force has reaffirmed the fact that their investigation into the accident is twofold:

apart from potential negligence, there is an inquiry into the Viking Sigyn’s captain’s possible failure to provide first aid. 

The latter accusation seems to be reinforced by the fact that Viking Sigyn only stopped when they were 800 metres away from the scene of the accident, rendering any attempts of rescuing survivors almost useless. 

Source: 24.hu