Man Drowns in Piraeus Port After Being Pushed Off Blue Horizon Ferry

Archive photo of the Blue Horizon ferry at Piraeus Port.

A 36-year-old man lost his life at the Piraeus port late Tuesday after being pushed off the Blue Horizon ferry.

The incident, which was captured on video and has circulated widely on social media, concerned a confrontation between members of the ship’s crew and the man who had made an attempt to board the ferry just when it was about to depart from the port for Iraklio on Crete. As the confrontation escalated, one of the crew members is shown to forcefully push the man off the ferry’s ramp and into the sea. The ship then left the port.

Th man was later found dead in the water and the ferry was instructed to return back to Piraeus. Members of the crew were then replaced and the Blue Horizon departed for Crete after midnight, once passenger depositions on the incident were taken.

The victim, identified as Antonis Karyotis, a resident of Agios Nikolaos in Crete, had a valid ferry ticket, according to Greek media reports.

Following the official confirmation of Karyotis death, the ferry’s captain, first officer, boatswain, and deck officer were arrested. They are expected to be charged with manslaughter and violations of relevant articles within the Maritime Law Code.

Minister: There is no doubt that the offence is manslaughter

Greek Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis. Photo Source: @Greek Chairmanship Council of Europe.

In response to the tragic incident, Greek Shipping Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis expressed his condolences via the X social media platform and assured the public that “all necessary measures are being taken to establish accountability in this case.”

Speaking to Greek radio station Parapolitika, Varvitsiotis added that “the behavior of the four detained crew members is criminally and morally reprehensible. It is a vulgar insult to all seamen working in the Greek shipping industry. There is no doubt that the offence is manslaughter.”

Attica Group: The scenes on the video do not consist with the company’s values

The ship-owning company, Attica Group, released a statement in the early hours of Wednesday expressing their profound shock over the tragedy. “We are committed to full cooperation with competent authorities in thoroughly investigating the incident,” the announcement said.

Referring to the video showing the crew member pushing the man off the Blue Horizon ferry, the company said: “The scenes that we all saw last night are unimaginable, they do not consist with the Group’s values and do not express in the slightest the ethos and professionalism, not only of our crews, but also of the Greek navy as a whole.”

PNO: The incident does not represent the majority of Greek seamen

The Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) also released a statement underlining that the incident “in no way represents the vast majority of Greek seamen, who have a high level of seamanship and training.” PNO stressed its focus on safety and accountability within the Greek maritime industry.