Captain of Viking Cruise Ship Charged for Tragic Collision That Killed 27 People in May

By Hickey Law Firm | November 28, 2019

Updated June 2023

In May, a Viking cruise ship collided with a smaller sightseeing vessel in Hungary. The cruise ship pushed the much smaller boat under the water, resulting in a massive loss of life. In all, 27 people lost their lives. Now, the cruise ship’s captain has been charged in connection with the tragedy.

Twenty-seven lives lost

AOL.com reports that the captain of the cruise ship, 64-year-old Ukranian C. Yuriy, has been charged with “misconduct leading to mass casualties and 35 counts of failing to provide help in a disaster.” The boat which the cruise ship struck, the Mermaid, had 35 people aboard at the time of the collision. 27 people lost their lives while the others survived.

The details of the collision may be key to the cruise ship captain’s prosecution. The vessels collided under a major bridge in Budapest during a rainstorm. The AOL.com report indicates that the Mermaid was sailing under the bridge with the right-of-way when the cruise ship’s captain accelerated the ship. “The captain failed to pay sufficient attention, he did not focus on steering the ship for several minutes,” the report quotes the Hungarian prosecutor as saying.

Yuriy, if convicted on all counts, could face two to 11 years in prison. He is currently on house arrest and wearing an electronic tracking device.

Swiss-based Viking Cruises Ltd, of Viking Riverboat fame, owns the cruise ship that was involved in the collision.

This is not the only time someone was injured on a Viking Cruise

In the time since, Viking Cruises Ltd has not avoided issues and problems. To wit:

  • In December 2022, a Viking Polaris cruise ship sailing toward Argentina was hit by a rogue wave. It killed one passenger, Sheri Zhu, and injured four others. Passengers noted that just days before a passenger was injured during a Zodiac boat excursion.
  • In January 2023, hundreds of passengers on the Viking Orion were stranded after authorities found “biofoul” on the hull of the ship. Four scheduled port stops were missed.
  • In June 2023, over 100 passengers on the Viking Neptune fell ill with the norovirus, transforming the ship into a “cross-continental petri dish,” according to Business Insider.

In fact, reports Business Insider, “The CDC has already logged 13 outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships in the first half of this year — the most since 2016, which saw the same number of outbreaks across 12 months.”

How a cruise ship attorney can help

At Hickey Law Firm, our job is to cut through the complicated language and contracts and make it as painless as possible for you to pursue your claim for honest, significant, and permanent injuries. Our founding attorney spent several decades representing cruise line corporations before switching to defend the victims from egregious actions and incidents of negligence or wrongdoing. We know the tactics cruise ship lines use to seek a lower settlement or have your lawsuit thrown out and are prepared to seek justice on your behalf.

To schedule a meeting with an experienced member of our legal team today, call our offices or fill out our contact form today. Initial consultations are free, and every case is taken on a contingency basis.

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Posted in Cruise Ship