Yacht captain takes full responsibility in Hydra fire case
The captain of the privately chartered yacht which caused a pine forest fire on the island of Hydra with fireworks on June 23 has reportedly taken full responsibility for the incident.
His supplementary testimony is expected to trigger further judicial developments regarding the 13 crew members which are being prosecuted for the fire. According to reports, the imprisoned captain, at his own request, gave a supplementary testimony on August 2, taking full responsibility, exonerating the other crew members and the foreign multimillionaire charterers of the yacht.
Kathimerini has learned that the captain testified that he procured an array of 15 fireworks, which he placed and set off on a rock in the sea. Fourteen of them headed away from the island but one of them took the opposite route and fell on one of the island’s steep slopes, igniting a fire. He also stated that he acted on his own initiative, without the assistance of other crew members or an order from the lessees, whom he intended to surprise.
Referring to his earlier testimony, he said that he was in a state of panic and hence provided a different version of events.
