Catamaran with 50 people on board ‘not wearing life jackets’ sinks killing 76-year-old man
A traumatic video showed the moment a catamaran with 50 people on board sank, killing a 76-year-old man, off the coast of Brazil.
Authorities said a group of tourists had booked the ship on Friday morning when it suddenly began sinking on Barra Grande beach in Maragogi, a coastal city in the northeastern state of Alagoas.
The tourists were being transported to a natural pool near the beach when it sank.
Silvio Romão, a resident of the southeastern state of São Paulo, was identified by authorities as the only fatality.
He was staying at a resort with friends and family in nearby Pernambuco.
Fire officials said the boat, which has a capacity for 70 people, had life jackets available for everyone on board, but none were wearing personal flotation devices when the vessel went down.
Images showed several people sailing their boats in the vicinity of the catamaran to rescue the group.
Another video showed paramedics carrying a person from the boat across the sand to transport him to a hospital.
A catamaran with fifty people on board sank on a beach in Maragogi, Brazil on Friday. Silvio Romão, a 76-year-old resident of the southeastern state of São Paulo, died in the accident
Pictured: Rescuers with one of the passengers rescued after the catamaran carrying 50 people, including three crew members, sank on a Brazilian beach
“It was fortunate that no tragedy occurred,” one of the passengers said, according to the Brazilian news channel G1.
“My son was the one who saw the boat flooding and told me.”
‘The skipper told the captain to turn on the pumps, but it was too late. People panicked. Only he (son) wore a life jacket, the adults and the elderly did not.’
The Maragogi Department of Tourism and the Navy said the catamaran was not registered under the Single Registry of Service Providers to offer nautical tours.
‘It’s a formal company. We have identified the owner, he has an authorized catamaran, but this particular one is not registered,” said Maragogi Tourism Minister Diego Vasconcelos.
“We didn’t check if everyone was wearing life jackets.”
Authorities said none of the passengers and crew were wearing life jackets at the time
The passengers were heading to a natural pool near Barra Grande Beach when their catamaran sank
Civilian police said they would question the catamaran’s crew and its owner.
“We reinforce our commitment to the safety and regularity of tourist activities in Maragogi and inform you that all necessary measures are being taken to establish responsibilities and ensure strict compliance with rules and regulations,” the Maragogi Tourism Department said in a statement declaration.
“The competent authorities have already started investigations to clarify the causes of the incident and ensure the safety of all users,” the agency added.
“At the same time, the City Hall Crisis Committee was activated and is working in an integrated manner to monitor the situation in real time and provide flexible and effective support to victims and their families.”