'Yogi' sinking subject of criminal investigation

Whilst the results of the Bureau d'enquêtes sur les événements de mer’s report into the sinking of motoryacht Yogi are imminent, it has become apparent that the Piraeus Public Prosecutor’s Office has opted to pursue a criminal investigation into the cause of the superyacht’s sinking in February 2012.

SuperyachtNews.com contacted the local coastguard in Skyros and was informed that the case had been referred to the national body in Piraeus. A press officer for the Hellenic Coast Guard then confirmed that, “Regarding the status of the criminal investigation into the sinking of MY Yogi we inform you that the documents of the case have been sent to the Public Prosecutor's Office at Chalkida for further criminal assessment.”

The file had, in fact been passed to the Piraeus Public Prosecutor’s Office on 28 May 2012, as Chalkida’s Nikolaos Zografos confirmed. However, when SuperyachtNews.com contacted the Piraeus Public Prosecutor’s Office a spokesperson was unable to confirm either the target(s) of the investigation, or a date for its conclusion.



The 60.2m Proteksan Turquoise superyacht, Yogi sunk 19nm off the coast of Skyros in Greece in February 2012. The yacht was in the region following a visit to the yard for minor warranty work on the yacht's interior.

John Wickham, media representative for the yard, at the time issued a statement expressing Proteksan Turquoise's deep dismay at Yogi's sinking and the gratitude of everyone involved to the Hellenic Coastguard for the skill and bravery they showed in rescuing all onboard.

"The yacht had left the shipyard in Turkey, where it had been undergoing some guarantee re-paint work, on February 15th and was on her way to the Mediterranean when it was hit by gale force weather conditions off Skyros. All eight crewmembers were rescued by a Puma helicopter from the Hellenic Coast Guard and are presently safe on Skyros, where they will stay until being transferred to Athens.

"It is unclear at the moment as to what caused the vessel to sink and that will not be known until representatives from the shipyard have been able to speak to the Captain and crew, which should take place over the next two days. MY Yogi was built to MCA rules and also to French Registry safety standards and the construction was under ABS surveillance and classification," said Wickham.

The incident happened at around 7:30 a.m. local time amid Force Eight ocean conditions. A successful rescue operation was quickly undertaken by the Hellenic Coast Guard with a Super Puma helicopter and everyone onboard was lifted to safety by 08:40, where all eight people were transferred to the Skyros Health Center for precautionary reasons. Reports on the Hellenic Coast Guard website say the vessel sank following mechanical failure, although this has not be confirmed and the actual cause of the sinking is still subject of a thorough investigation.



TheCrewReport.com will keep readers informed of any further developments.

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