The first officer of the 4,250 TEU container ship Algeciras Express, chartered by Hapag Lloyd, reported that the ship’s captain was missing on a voyage from Turkey to Spain. The crew had noticed the captain’s absence on July 3. They searched the vessel and reported that the captain could not be located.
Safety4Sea reports that the container ship arrived at Algeciras on July 7. Upon arrival, a new captain came on board, and the ship was authorized to moor at the TTI Algeciras terminal.
There, the authorities took a statement from the ship’s first officer and entered the cabin of the missing captain. According to local media reports, the agents did not find anything abnormal, while they also found the navigation plan for the following day prepared by the captain. There were no reported signs of a struggle nor anything else out of the ordinary aboard the ship, save for the missing captain.
The container ship left Yalova at noon on June 30, and three days later the crew noticed the master’s disappearance, when the ship was on the high seas, in international waters.
Spanish authorities have reported the disappearance to Liberia as it is the flag state for the vessel. They are in touch with the Philippines as the captain was a Philippine citizen.
How could this happen
@ws Two ways, he jumped (suicide is a known problem with seafarers) or he was pushed by a disgruntled crew member. Proving either will be a challenge unless he left a suicide note.