Two ferry crewmembers are on trial in Jersey for the deaths of three fishermen following a collision at sea in December 2022. The incident occurred when the Condor Ferries vessel, Commodore Goodwill, struck the fishing boat L’Ecume II about four nautical miles off Jersey’s coast. The ferry, traveling at 19 knots, sank the fishing vessel instantly, resulting in the deaths of skipper Michael Michieli and crewmen Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat.
The second officer, Lewis Peter Carr, and lookout Artur Sevash-Zade deny charges of gross negligence manslaughter and violating shipping laws. The prosecution argues that their negligent actions directly led to the crash, which could have been avoided. Evidence presented in court indicated that Sevash-Zade left his post shortly after beginning his shift, failing to arrange for a relief, while Carr was distracted by non-urgent tasks instead of monitoring the radar.
Despite ideal sea conditions and multiple collision alerts, the ferry altered course, putting it on a collision path with L’Ecume II. The ferry struck the fishing boat at full speed, with warnings issued mere seconds before impact. Prosecutors claim that had the defendants executed their responsibilities properly, the tragedy could have been prevented.
