A cruiseship owner has fired back at Caracas over a collision earlier this week, saying the incident was caused by "an act of aggression" by the Venezuelan Navy.
On Monday, the 8,400-gt cruiseship RCGS Resolute (built 1991) collided with the Naiguata (built 2009), a patrol vessel operated by the Navy’s coastguard division.
The Naiguata later capsized off the Caribbean island of Tortuga. All 44 crew were rescued before it sank.
Venezuela's Ministry of Defence on Wednesday accused the vessel of carrying out a hit-and-run stunt on the demised warship and failing to take part in rescue efforts. It has threatened legal action against the vessel.
But shipowner Bunnys Adventure & Cruise Shipping gave a different account of the collision, saying the naval ship actually caused its own casualty by ramming into the RCGS Resolute.
"The cruise vessel RCGS Resolute has been subject to an act of aggression by the Venezuelan Navy in international waters, around 13.3 nautical miles from Isla de Tortuga with 32 crew member and no passengers on board," Bunnys Adventure said in a statement.
'Gunshots fired'
The Bahamas-based owner said its vessel had been drifting off the island for a day while conducting engine work before heading to Curacao.
According to Bunnys Adventure, the armed navy ship approached the RCGS Resolute, questioned its presence and ordered it to follow it to Puerto Moreno on Isla De Margarita.
The RCGS Resolute's master had to notify his company of the "serious deviation" from its intended course.
"While the master was in contact with the head office, gunshots were fired and, shortly thereafter, the navy vessel approached the starboard side at speed with an angle of 135 degrees and purposely collided with the RCGS Resolute," Bunnys Adventure said.
"The navy vessel continued to ram the starboard bow in an apparent attempt to turn the ship’s head towards Venezuelan territorial waters."
Bunnys Adventure said the RCGS Resolute, an ice-class expedition ship with an ice-strengthened bulbous, sustained minor damages but the naval ship began to take on water.
The RCGS Resolute stayed in the area for more than an hour and reached out to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre Curacao (MRCC), but those on board the navy ship did not respond, according to the owner.
Bunnys Adventure said its ship left the scene to resume its way to Curacao after the MRCC ordered it to move on and told it no further help was needed.
"A full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident will now be carried out," the owner said.
