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Three crew members formally charged for negligent homicide
Three crew members of the 'Cobra' have been formally charged on March 18 for their alleged responsibility in the collision and sinking of the f/v 'Bruma' on March 30m 2025, near Santa María Island, in the Biobío Region.The hearing was bing held in the Coronel Guarantee Court, where the Biobío Regional Prosecutor's Office has charged those involved with negligent homicide. According to the Public Prosecutor's investigation, the Blumar company's deep-sea fishing vessel collided with a smaller ship while it was anchored with seven fishermen on board, who disappeared. The crew members of the 'Cobra' who were being formally charged were the captain, Roberto Mansilla; the helmsman, Luis Macaya; and the lookout, Jaime Sandoval, three of the four people who were on the bridge at the time of the collision, which occurred at approximately 3:08 a.m. The fourth crew member who witnessed the incident was lookout Juan Sanhueza, who took his own life a few days after the collision and was found in a vacant lot in the Biobío Region. One of the most important documents considered for the formal charges has been the Maritime Administrative Summary Investigation (ISAM) conducted by the Chilean Navy. This concluded that there was negligent conduct on the part of the 'Cobra's crew, which is why it was decided to suspend the captain's seaman's book for life.
Data recorder to be sent to France for further analysis
The Biobío Regional Prosecutor's Office informed the families of the seven fishermen who died in the sinking of the 'Bruma' that the data recorder of the 'Cobra' will be sent to France for further expert analysis. The decision was made after neither the US Investigative Police (PDI) nor the FBI were able to extract information from the device, which could contain crucial information about what happened at the time of the collision. The device will be transferred to the Houilles "Commander Millé" Marine Center in Paris, part of the French Navy, which has a laboratory specialized in the analysis of vessel recording boxes. The new expert reports were ordered by the Public Prosecutor's Office and are expected to be completed in the coming days, although there is still no timeline for obtaining results.
Conversation between Cobra and Brunma leaked
A report from the Maritime Administrative Summary Investigation (ISAM) revealed on Aug 28 a key contact among the crew of the 'Cobra', on the same day that the seven fishermen from the 'Bruma' disappeared, on March 30 in the Coronel, Biobío Region. A communication via VHF was recorded between the two captains. In the conversation, they exchanged information about the fishing situation in their areas. But, at one point, from the 'Cobra' it is heard: “Voy a acercarme”, and minutes later, “Donde estás tú me marca una hu… larga. Voy a pasar encima de esa hu… a ver qué me marca”, and finally: Let's turn on the lights and put spotlights on. Representative Roberto Celedón (from the Frente Amplio party), a member of the Special Investigative Commission, described the recordings as "extraordinarily serious and shocking" and warned that "we are facing a very serious crime, such as homicide, and the responsibility lies not only with the captain, but also with those who concealed this information from the outset." Celedón accused the Public Prosecutor's Office of inaction, demanded the formalization of the investigation, and affirmed that Blumar executives must be held criminally accountable and barred from all fishing concessions. Representative María Candelaria Acevedo (PC), also a member of the Special Investigative Commission, stated that the audio recordings confirmed the responsibility of the 'Cobra's captain. "This background confirms the thesis put forward by both the Bruma Case Commission and the victims' families, who are absolutely certain that there was malice aforethought and responsibility on the part of the captain and his crew-§. The parliamentarian demanded that the facts be clarified so that "there is truth and justice for the families." The lawyer for the 'Cobra' crew members announced a complaint for breach of confidentiality following the information leak snd emphasized that "this investigation is secret and remains open" and stressed that the radio communications occurred "at a different time and several kilometers from the collision between the two vessels," and were related to fishing spots and unrelated to the collision. He added that the WhatsApp messages corresponded to crew members who were not in the cockpit and were explained to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Finally, he insisted that the important thing is to establish responsibility for the cause of the collision, reviewing compliance with regulatory measures to prevent collisions, which the Bruma crew reportedly failed to observe. The judicial and administrative investigation continues.
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