DryShips crewmember sentenced to jail in China in landmark case
In a landmark case in China, Ningbo Maritime Court has sentenced a crewmember on a DryShips bulker to prison for a fatal ship collision accident which happened last year.
The DryShips bulker Catalina collided with the Chinese fishing vessel Lu Rong Yu 58398 while en route from Lianyungang to Kaohsiung in May last year. The fishing vessel sank after the collision and the Catalina continued sailing to its destination.
The accident led to the death of 19 people onboard the trawler.
Allan Mendoza Tablate, the second mate of Catalina, was at the helm of the vessel when the incident happened. The court believed that Tablate’s negligence led to the collision and sentenced him to jail for three and a half years as a lighter punishment given the Filipino’s voluntary confession and proactive compensation to the families of the victims.
It is the first criminal case ever handled by a Chinese maritime court.