The captain of the dive liveaboard Galatea is reported to have remained in police custody since the vessel sank near the island of Marie Louise in the Seychelles Outer Islands at the end of last week.
Ten people were rescued from the stricken vessel but search operations have continued for three others who remain missing, complicated by the remoteness of the area and open-ocean conditions. Marie Louise, part of the Amirantes island group, lies some 300km south-west of Mahé, where the Galatea had begun its trip.
The incident occurred before dawn on Friday, 13 March, with reports of a rapid sinking at 5.37am suggesting that catastrophic flooding of the vessel had occurred. The Seychelles’ Ministry of Transport stated that all relevant authorities had been immediately engaged, with co-ordinated efforts “to assess the circumstances and ensure appropriate action is taken”.
Nine people were able to get clear of the sinking liveaboard on a dinghy that succeeded in reaching Desroches island, the main island in the Amirantes, later that day.
A 10th person, a Swiss national, was rescued separately later that afternoon, suffering from sun exposure, elevated blood pressure and mild hypothermia.
Two of those still missing are also understood to be Swiss guests, along with a Seychellois crew-member. Up to five of the rescued guests are also thought to be from Switzerland.
All those rescued have been reported to be in stable condition and to have undergone questioning about the incident following medical evaluation.
Investigation underway
Law-enforcement authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the sinking. The 61‑year‑old French captain appeared before the Seychelles Supreme Court yesterday (16 March) and was ordered to be remanded for 14 days while those investigations continued.
The captain is being held under laws governing commercial conveyance by water in an unsafe or overloaded vessel, and “rash and negligent” actions, but has not been charged.
The Galatea was a 30m steel gulet-style sailing and motor yacht that typically operated one-week or shorter diving safaris out of the Seychelles’ largest island Mahe for up to 14 guests.
Built in 1987 in Bodrum, Turkey, the boat had been bought by Seychelles’ business Blue Sea Divers in 2010 and extensively renovated in 2012–13 for diving operations under the Diving Cruises Seychelles brand. It had a dive-tender, a smaller dinghy and two 12-person life-rafts.
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