Crew Member Pushes 'Late Passenger' into Sea... "Clear Murder" Sparks Outrage in Greece

Video Spread on SNS at the Time... No Rescue Attempt Made
Prosecutors Indict Passenger Ship Captain and 3 Crew Members

A man in his 30s drowned after being pushed by a ferry crew member in Greece. The man tried to board a departing ferry late, but was stopped by the crew, eventually falling into the sea and dying.

On the 7th (local time), according to Greece's state broadcaster ERT, the Greek prosecution has criminally charged the captain and three crew members of the ferry 'Blue Horizon.' One crew member was charged with manslaughter, two other crew members were charged with conspiracy, and the captain was charged with violating ship regulations.

The incident occurred on the night of the 5th in Piraeus, a port city southwest of Athens, the capital of Greece. A video capturing the situation quickly spread on social media, sparking public outrage in Greek society.

An incident occurred at the port of Piraeus, Greece, where a man was pushed into the sea by a ferry crew member and eventually died, sparking public outrage. Photo by Greek local media outlet Greek Times, Yonhap News Agency

The video shows a man desperately running toward the ramp (a sloped entrance for vehicles) at the stern of the ferry 'Blue Horizon' just as it was about to depart. When the man tried to climb the ramp and enter the ferry, the crew members stopped him and pushed him outside the ramp.

The man climbed the ramp again, but a crew member pushed him off. This happened just as the ferry was leaving the dock and starting to depart.

Eventually, the man lost his balance and fell into the widening gap between the ferry and the dock. However, the crew took no action to rescue the man who fell into the sea, and the ferry set sail for its destination, Crete Island.

Many passengers on the deck witnessed the scene. One passenger said, "He tried to get on the ship two or three times, and the crew pushed him when the ship started to leave the dock. It was clear he would fall into the sea, and unfortunately, he eventually fell outside the ferry."

The coast guard arrived but the man had already died. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as drowning.

According to Greek authorities, the man had a ferry ticket. He had boarded the ferry but for unknown reasons disembarked and then tried to board again.

After the incident, the ferry was ordered to return to Piraeus port. The Greek prosecution arrested and detained the captain and three crew members after taking statements from passengers and crew.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condemnation on his social media the day before, saying, "A combination of irresponsible behavior, cynicism, contempt, and indifference led to this man's death." Greek Minister of Maritime Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis said, "There is no doubt that this crime is murder."

Attica Group, the owner of the ferry, issued two statements saying, "Our management is shocked by this tragic incident" and "We are cooperating with authorities to uncover the truth."

Meanwhile, the deceased man was identified as Antonis Kariotis, aged 36. He worked at a fruit shop on Crete Island and was reportedly visiting Athens recently to meet friends.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.