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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/

Missing lookout found dead

Juan Sanhueza, 58, a lookout of the 'Cobra', was found dead in the Bosques de Quiñenco area of Coronel on the morning of April 10. He had been missing since April 4. The discovery was made during the search led by the PDI's Homicide Squad, following a complaint filed by the crew member's family. The man was considered a key witness in the investigation into the sinking of the boat "Bruma," which still leaves seven fishermen missing. The head of the Concepción Homicide Squad, Enrique Guzmán, explained that during the investigation, they were able to "obtain this location of criminal interest, so detailed investigations were carried out with this specialized equipment, which finally allowed to locate a person. "It is part of the examination and forensic process to be able to categorically establish the date of death, which would correspond more or less to the period of disappearance," The Biobío regional prosecutor, Marcela Cartagena, reported that the identity of the body was confirmed by the Criminalistics Laboratory through a fingerprint examination. Third party involvement was ruled out and a suicide presumed. Sanhueza, who was serving as a lookout the night before the sinking of the "Bruma," disappeared after attending a psychological support session organized by the company Blumar. He was later scheduled to appear before the Investigative Police (PDI), but decided to travel on his own instead of using the company's transportation and missed the summons. Sanhueza's last record indicates that he boarded a Ruta del Mar bus, where, according to the driver, he displayed nervous behaviour and changed seats several times. He got off at Vega Monumental, and his whereabouts have not been known since. The widow had told prosecutor Hugo Cuevas that Sanhueza intended to cooperate with the investigation and testify. Report with photos: https://www.adnradio.cl/2025/04/10/fiscalia-confirma-que-cadaver-encontrado-en-coronel-corresponde-a-juan-sanhueza-testigo-clave-del-barco-cobra/