Captain and Pilot of Norwegian Ship “Misje Verde” Convicted on All Counts

The Fatal Collision Outside Tjörn

The accident occurred on the evening of July 28 in Hakefjorden off the island of Tjörn on the Swedish coast, as the Norwegian cargo ship Misje Verde traveled from Uddevalla to Kragerø. Prosecutor James von Reis stated in court that the 7-to-8-meter cabin cruiser was practically run over by the bulk carrier, which is owned by the Bergen-based Norwegian shipping company Misje Rederi. A Swedish Accident Investigation Board review subsequently confirmed that the small boat was clearly visible on the ship’s radar system before the impact.

In the leisure boat were a Swedish couple in their 40s and their two children, vacationing alongside the family of the father’s brother. Testifying in court, the surviving father described how the evening was quiet and the sea calm until he suddenly heard a motor, looked over his shoulder, and saw the ship’s black bulbous bow bearing down on them. According to Aftonbladet’s courtroom reporting, he shouted that he tried to steer hard to starboard but felt their vessel sucked directly under the hull before everything went black.

The Search and Rescue Efforts

After the boat capsized, the father fought his way to the surface and swam toward two floating life vests, shouting without receiving an answer. He discovered his injured son wearing one vest, while his daughter’s vest was completely empty. Rescue helicopters and maritime units searched the area for two days before the bodies of the mother and daughter were recovered. Father and son were transported to the hospital with severe injuries, where the young boy spent time on a respirator.

Neither the Russian captain nor the Swedish pilot stationed on the bridge noticed the collision happen, only learning of it when the Swedish Coast Guard contacted them two hours later, per Aftonbladet. Police and prosecutors pointed to failures in maintaining proper lookouts, following right-of-way rules, and issuing timely warnings at sea. Swedish authorities seized the Misje Verde following the tragedy.

Disputed Responsibility in Court

During the trial in Göteborgs tingrett, the two defendants pointed fingers at each other regarding who carried the duty of keeping watch. The pilot argued that legal lookout responsibilities must fall on the ship’s permanent crew rather than an external pilot. The captain countered that the pilot held responsibility because he was at the helm, though he acknowledged to the court that the ultimate general responsibility remained his own.

Prosecutor James von Reis argued that both men breached multiple maritime rules and demonstrated poor seamanship, requesting prison sentences for each. Defense attorneys asked for full acquittals. Presiding Judge Anne Rapp noted in the written judgment that responsibilities were unclear on the bridge, writing that the captain held overarching authority while the pilot had assumed a larger operational role than standard pilot assignments require.

The distinction in sentencing—where the captain received a strictly conditional sentence and the pilot received a conditional sentence combined with daily fines—stemmed from the fact that the captain had previously been held in pre-trial detention, according to the court’s decision.

Convictions and background details of the Swedish coast ship collision