An early morning of terror was experienced in the waters of Bocachica, in Cartagena, after a pleasure sailboat that covered the route between Panama and the Nautical Club of the capital of Bolívar was hit by a large meter-type cargo boat, causing it to sink in a matter of minutes.
The emergency occurred around 4:40 in the morning, when a desperate call to line 146 alerted the maritime authorities about the serious accident. According to preliminary reports, the impact was so violent that the sailboat was unable to stay afloat, forcing its occupants to evacuate in the middle of the darkness and strong waves of the Caribbean Sea.
According to testimonies, the cargo ship did not stop or provide aid, despite having caused the collision, and continued its journey, which has generated outrage and opened an investigation for alleged failure to provide aid.
Given the seriousness of the event, the Colombian Navy, through the Coast Guard, immediately activated a search and rescue operation, deploying two Quick Reaction Units (URR) to the island area.
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Upon arriving at the scene, the uniformed officers found two life rafts with the occupants of the sailboat, who managed to evacuate before the boat completely disappeared under the water.
In total, 20 people were rescued, making up a crew of various nationalities: 6 German citizens, 4 French, 2 English, 2 Swiss, 3 Colombians, 1 Belgian, 1 Italian and 1 Turkish.
After being evaluated by medical personnel at the Coast Guard Station, it was confirmed that none of them were injured, although all showed signs of shock due to the situation they experienced.
The General Maritime Directorate (Dimar) and the National Navy began the corresponding investigations to fully identify the motor vessel involved. With the support of radar systems and navigation records, the authorities seek to establish responsibilities for both the collision and the failure to help the victims.
Finally, the Navy reiterated the call to sailors to take extreme security measures, especially at night and in conditions of low visibility, as well as to keep automatic identification systems active, in order to avoid new emergencies in waters of the Colombian Caribbean.
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