Αnother fishing boat is suspected to have been involved in the death of former PASOK Minister Sifis Valirakis was lost his life in the sea near Eretria on Sunday. The wife of the 77-year-old deceased politician has reportedly expressed such suspicion in a letter to Shipping Minister Yiannis Plakiotakis on Tuesday.
In her letter Mina Papatheodorou-Valiraki said there were indications that it was possible another boat was in the sea area at the time and that may have been involved in an accident.
Sunday noon, went fishing with his inflatable boat in the Gulf of Evia.
When he failed to return home as the usual time, his wife alerted authorities.
His body was found in the evening almost one mile away from his boat that was still rotating with the engine on.
Valirakis had reportedly suffered serious injuries in the face and head, one finger was cut. Authorities suggested that for some reason he fell off the boat and was hit by the propeller. They suggested that he may had suffered a heart attack or he fainted prior to the accident.
According to the autopsy conducted on Tuesday morning, the body had severe injuries in the head and neck that “lead to drowning” and that he had not suffered a heart attack.
His wife said that people in the small community of Eretria may submit evidence of the involvement of a fishing boat, “which means that the case for manslaughter is strong, if not certain.”
In her letter to Shipping minister, Valirakis’s widow cited evidence and testimonies leading to the conclusion that a professional fishing boat was involved in the accident.
“People in the small community of Eretria may submit evidence of the involvement of a fishing boat, which means that the case for manslaughter is strong, if not certain,” the widow wrote urging the Minister to immediately launch an investigation.
She said further that very few professional boats were in the area.
According to Ant1 TV, there is information that at least two professional fishing boats were near Valirakis’ boat while there are also reports that the boat of the former minister was harassed.
An eye witness told Mega TV on Tuesday evening that the former minister and the crew of a professional fishing boat had an argument in the sea prior to the accident.
Speaking also to the TV magazine, the lawyer of the family said that the professional fisherman told the politician rudely to stop fishing and leave the area. The fishing boat was sailed around Valirakis boat creating waves.
The Cost Guard has reportedly started to speak with witnesses who saw the fishing boat near the ex minister’s boat.
With the new development, investigators are expected to take genetic material from the propeller of the politicians’ boat.
Valirakis funeral scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, has been postponed.
I know nothing of the actual circumstances here of course, but as a sailor I know very well that the dumbest thing you can do in a small boat at sea is to not wear the engine kill cord. Any single engined boat will naturally run round in circles because of the sideways action of the propeller, so if you fall overboard and the engine can keep running the boat will circle round and run you over. It would not surprise me at all to find that not wearing a kill cord and falling overboard was the cause of this tragic death, it wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.
according to media,, indeed, he was not wearing the ‘kill cord’