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Cobra to be investigated in dry dock

In an effort to clarify the circumstances surrounding the sinking of the 'Bruma', the families of the missing fishermen have united to take decisive action. Following a meeting with Regional Prosecutor Marcela Cartagena, some doubts have been cleared up and important steps have been taken in the investigation. One of the major developments has been the confirmation that forensic divers from the Underwater Operations Department of the Investigative Police (PDI) have conducted expert examinations on the 'Cobra', which remained in the custody of the San Vicente Harbor Master's Office. These examinations were carried out in response to videos, which showed suspicious movements on the vessel under investigation for its alleged involvement in the sinking of the 'Bruma'. In addition to the investigations carried out by the PDI, the fishermen's families have decided to take additional measures. According to Rafael Poblete, the attorney representing them, they have hired a team of private experts to further clarify what happened in the early hours of March 30. This team is composed of a maritime accident investigation specialist, a shipbuilding engineer, and a mechanic. Poblete also addressed the hypothesis put forward by Blumar, owner of the 'Cobra', regarding the possible involvement of another vessel in the tragedy. However, the attorney ruled out this theory based on the traces found on the fishing vessel. At the meeting with Prosecutor Cartagena, the family members also agreed to hold weekly meetings to stay informed about the progress of the investigation. They also reiterated their request that the expert examinations of the 'Cobra' be conducted in a dry dock, in order to obtain more reliable and exhaustive results.The families of the fishermen will return to Constitución, but will closely monitor the progress of the investigation to find answers to this tragic loss.

Search for missing fishermen ended with an ecumenical ceremony - Cobra crew feeling stigmatized

On Aprl 15, nearly 70 people, including families, colleagues of the fishermen and leaders of the Coronel area, boarded the Navy vessel "Janequeo" to travel to the area where the "Bruma" sank and bid farewell to the seven fishermen who have been missing since March 30. This followed the Navy's decision on April 14 to suspend the search for the seven fishermen after 17 days. They are the skipper José Luis Medel Sepúlveda, José Luis Medel González, his son Juan Jorge Muñoz Balladares, José Fernando Carrasco González, Julio Eduardo Gallardo Díaz, Carlos Hugo Escárate Ramírez and Jonathan Daniel Torres Saldaña. At the site, near the bay of Santa María Island, an ecumenical ceremony was being held aboard the "Janequeo" to bid farewell to the missing fishermen. to pay tribute of reverence and respect to them. The Biobío Prosecutor's Office is leading the investigation targeting the Blumar's "Cobra" and its crew as responsible for the accident. The Executive Branch has also filed a complaint for homicide. Meanwhile, the fishermen's families also filed a complaint for the same crime, in addition to the failure to provide assistance against the captain of the "Cobra". In response to the incident, the crew of the 'Cobra' publsihed a public statement, stated that they were "deeply saddened by the loss of our colleagues, because we are only now in a position to do so. We had not been able to express our pain before.” The crew members acknowledged that they felt stigmatized after the sinking of the 'Bruma', noting that “several of us cannot go out into the streets because we are being pointed at not only as protagonists of the accident, but also as responsible for this tragedy. For us, life is the most valuable thing. Not only ours, but everyone's, especially that of hardworking people like us, with whom we share a profession we love.” Along with this, they reiterated that "we are actively cooperating with the investigation and trust that the causes of this unfortunate accident will be clearly established." Therefore, "we ask for respect for ourselves and, above all, for our families" until the cause of the 'Bruma' sinking is determined.

Chilean government filed a complaint against the Cobra

The Chilean government decided on April 14 to intervene in an alleged maritime accident and filed a complaint for "failure to provide assistance" against the 'Cobra', that allegedly ran over the artisanal fishing vessel, whose seven crew members are still missing, 15 days after the shipwreck. On April 4, Juan Sanhueza, one of the lookouts on the 'Cobra', considered the key witness, disappeared from his home after consulting with the company psychologist and before having to testify that same morning before the Public Prosecutor's Office. Sanhueza was found hanged days later in the neighbouring region of Biobio, after the last known image of him was made public, captured while boarding a bus. Gerardo Balbontin, manager of Blumar, the ship's owner, admitted that the crew heard an audio recording, but not a collision, which, according to his account, was attributed to an internal conflict, after several crew members on his own vessel acknowledged that they hit something. After concluding the search for the missing crew on April 13 without finding any trace of the fishermen, Security Minister Luis Cordero announced that the government had decided to file a complaint. Claudia Urrutia, leader of the cod fishermen in the central Maule region and spokesperson for the families, called for the investigation to continue and for the vessel to be returned to dry dock for examination. Alejandro Espinoza, the lawyer for the 'Cobra' crew, stated on April 14 that the ship's radars did not detect the presence of another vessel nor did they receive any warnings of an anchored boat. The company is available to have the ship inspected for as long as necessary and that each and every maneuver aimed at establishing whether the Cobra participated in the collision and whether this collision occurred while the 'Bruma' was already damaged or submerged be carried out absolutely and thoroughly. The investigation "must establish whether all electronic and navigation systems on the vessels involved, the Cobra, Bruma, or others, were operating in accordance with regulations; and whether the crews fulfilled the obligations established by the maritime authority." The inspection preliminarily revealed that the two radars, one calibrated for short range and the other for long range, detected absolutely nothing. There was also the hypothesis that the collision occurred with the semi-submerged vessel, and that was the reason why neither the 'Cobra' nor any of the vessels that sailed close to the 'Bruma's last position detected this vessel. There wasno indication that the 'Bruma' has disclosed its anchorage position. Report with photo: https://new.diariolaprensa.cl/index.php/2025/04/14/con-ayuda-de-buque-cientifico-cabo-de-hornos-se-registran-hallazgos-que-corresponderian-a-la-bruma/