Three crew members have been arrested in Iceland after a collision involving their multipurpose vessel and a fishing boat.
Icelandic media cited Vestmannaeyjar police as saying the master of Dutch owner Longship’s 8,250-dwt multipurpose Longdawn (built 2013) was taken into custody together with two colleagues on 17 May.
They were held on suspicion of abandoning a man at sea off the coast the previous day, publications including Visir and Iceland Monitor said.
The 72-year-old crewman from the fishing boat was later rescued. The accident happened in the early hours.
Asgeir Erlendsson, a coastguard spokesman, told media that when the track of the fishing vessel was compared with those of other ships, it was discovered the Longdawn was in the same place at the same time.
Vestmannaeyjar police chief Karl Gauti Hjaltason confirmed the Russian master had been arrested.
The first and second officers were also taken into custody. One of these is also Russian and the other is from Asia.
The Longdawn has continued on to Rotterdam.
Police said the fishing vessel had capsized after a crash.
Interpreters have been brought in for a court hearing.
“It looks quite certain that the ship has crashed into this boat. There is a collision on the course and their paths are moving together at this time,” the police chief said.
But it has yet to be established what the officers knew about the accident, he added.
Longship has been contacted for comment.
