Passengers are left adrift after vessel sinks at the Meeting of the Waters in Manaus Reproduction/Social Media The Brazilian Navy concluded the investigation that investigates the causes and responsibilities for the sinking of the boat Lima de Abreu XV, which occurred on February 13 of this year, at the Meeting of the Waters, in Manaus. The procedure was completed on July 23 and forwarded to the Maritime Court, which will proceed with the analysis of the case. The Navy did not say what the conclusions of the investigation were. The vessel, operated by the company Lima de Abreu Navegações, left Manaus bound for Nova Olinda do Norte when it sank. The accident left three people dead, five missing and 71 survivors were rescued. According to the Western Amazon River Captaincy, the Administrative Inquiry into Navigation Accidents and Facts (IAFN) was established to investigate the circumstances of the sinking and possible responsibilities for the accident. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp After completing the investigation, the material was sent to the Maritime Court. In a note, the Court informed that it received the document and that the case will be registered as a process, following the procedures provided for in the legislation. Boat sinking leaves 2 dead and 7 missing in Manaus The Navy highlighted that the investigation corresponds to the initial phase of the investigation. Now, it will be up to the Maritime Court to analyze the case and decide whether there were violations of navigation safety standards. In a note, the Maritime Court informed that it received the inquiry and that the case will be transformed into a trial, following the procedures set out in the legislation and the Court's internal rules. Searches suspended On July 8, the Amazonas Military Fire Department (CBMAM) suspended the search for the five missing people after almost five months of operation. According to the corporation, the decision was taken after exhausting the possibilities of locating the victims. The searches began on the day of the accident and used drones, boats and sonar equipment to read the riverbed. The families of the missing also followed the work of the teams throughout the search. At the time, CBMAM also informed that the corporation would remain on alert and could resume operations if evidence emerged that would help locate the missing. In addition, family members of three missing people requested a police report. According to CBMAM, the document, registered in the National Public Security Information System (Sinesp), is the first step in filing a presumed death request in court. The sinking The boat, from the company Lima de Abreu Navegações, left Manaus at around 12:30 pm. During the trip, the vessel sank near Encontro das Águas, a region where the Negro and Solimões rivers meet. Videos recorded by passengers show people, including children, adrift in the water, many wearing life jackets or leaning on rafts as they awaited help. The causes of the accident have not been officially disclosed and remain under investigation. Shortly after the accident, some of the passengers were rescued by vessels sailing through the region. Then a rescue operation was mounted. One of the episodes that drew the most attention during the rescue was the rescue of a premature baby, just five days old, placed inside a cooler. To prevent the newborn from having direct contact with the water, family members placed the child inside the container, which remained adrift until rescue teams found it. The baby's mother, who had traveled to Manaus to give birth, was also saved. Both were taken for medical attention. Witnesses also reported moments of tension before the sinking. A passenger stated that she even warned the boat pilot to reduce speed because of the banzeiro, strong waves common in the Encontro das Águas region. In a video recorded while she was adrift, she reported that she had asked the driver to "slow down". Watch below: Passenger on a boat that sank at the Meeting of the Waters in Manaus records video while drifting Who are the victims Among the victims are Samila de Souza, aged 3, Lara Bianca, aged 22 and Fernando Grandêz, aged 39. Samila and Lara's bodies were found hours after the sinking. According to the State Department of Health of Amazonas, Samila was taken to the East Zone Children's Emergency Room, but was already lifeless when she was admitted to the unit. To g1, Samila's family informed that she had traveled to Manaus for the first time and was returning to Urucurituba, the city where the boat would stop. Lara Bianca was born in Nova Olinda do Norte and studied dentistry in Manaus. According to friends, she was about to finish her degree. Her body was rescued and taken to the Fire Department's river squad, in the Port of Manaus, and then sent to the Legal Medical Institute (IML). Gospel singer Fernando Grandêz, aged 39, had his body found three days after the wreck during search work in the region. Linked to gospel music, Fernando was a singer and used to participate in religious events held in the capital of Amazonas. The presentations were shared on social media, almost always accompanied by captions expressing faith Pilot becomes defendant The boat pilot, Pedro José da Silva Gama, became a defendant for qualified homicide after the Amazonas Court accepted, on April 24, the complaint presented by the Public Ministry of the State of Amazonas (MPAM). The decision is made by judge Fábio Lopes Alfaia, head of the 2nd Court of the Jury Court of the District of Manaus. Upon receiving the complaint, the magistrate stated that there is proof of the materiality of the crime and sufficient evidence of authorship, which justifies the opening of criminal action. Pedro José da Silva Gama handed himself in to the police on the night of March 16, after spending just over a month on the run. He presented himself at the Specialized Homicide Police Station.
Navy concludes investigation into boat sinking at Encontro das Águas in AM; case goes to the Maritime Court
Passengers are left adrift after vessel sinks at the Meeting of the Waters in Manaus Reproduction/Social Media The Brazilian Navy concluded the investigation that investigates the causes and responsibilities for the...
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