Boat captain jailed for speedboat accident that killed 17 tourists off Hoi An

The Quang Nam Provincial People’s Court on Sunday convicted Le Sen, 54, of “violating regulations on waterway traffic,” citing his failure to reduce speed while navigating dangerous conditions.

Sen was operating the Phuong Dong 05 speedboat, carrying 38 others including two crew members and the rest tourists from Cham Island to Hoi An’s Cua Dai Beach, when it capsized on Feb. 26, 2022, amid strong winds and high waves.

Police determined Sen was speeding, attempting to make a turn at 20-25 kph in a zone where the maximum safe speed was 9 kph.

Despite having over 30 years of experience, Sen acknowledged that he misjudged the wave conditions, stating that reducing the speed below 9 kph would have compromised the rudder’s responsiveness.

He expressed deep regret for the loss of life and sought forgiveness from the victims’ families, who requested leniency at the trial.

“This was an unforeseen accident. I am deeply saddened by the great loss and hope the victims’ families can forgive me,” he said.

In addition to the captain’s sentencing, concerns have been raised about the boat’s construction and modifications. The Phuong Dong 05, built in 2016 and modified in 2019 to increase its capacity and withstand higher wave heights, lacked functioning navigation and radar systems at the time of the accident.

Phuong Dong 05 speedboat after a deadly accident in Hoi An in February 2022. Photo by Read/Dac Thanh

An investigation into these issues has been separated from Sen’s case.

Local authorities noted that, prior to the 2019 modifications, there had been no fatal accidents involving tourist boats between Cham Island and Hoi An. Following a regulation change in 2018, many vessels on the route were converted to closed-top designs, which some survivors claim made it difficult for passengers to escape once the boat began to sink.

Nguyen Van Son, Hoi An’s chairman, confirmed that while there had been previous accidents, passengers had always been rescued thanks to life jackets. He stressed that the closed design of converted motorboats leaves little room for water to flow out of the boat, worsening the situation during emergencies.