Collision Between Tourist Speedboat And Diving Vessel Off Coast Of Marseille Leaves 13 Injured

A collision between two pleasure boats off the coast of Marseille on Saturday, September 9, left 13 people injured.

The incident occurred about 900 metres off the coast of Cap Croisette at around 5 p.m. It involved a speedboat carrying seven passengers and another 10-metre wooden diving boat with 14 people on board, as initially reported by laprovence.com.

Their information was subsequently confirmed by both a police source and the maritime prefecture of the Mediterranean. The speedboat was the one that reportedly collided with the Diplodocus diving boat.

Members of the CROSS Méditerranée were immediately deployed to the scene, tasked with coordinating a major rescue mission on the open sea. They were supported by a civil security helicopter and around sixty marine firefighters, while the surrounding area was secured by the police.

Eight of those injured are believed to be in a stable condition while another four are said to be in critical condition. One of the victims suffered a significant haemorrhage and had to be airlifted ashore to the emergency ward of the Timone hospital in Marseille.

According to initial reports of the investigation passed to AFP by a police source, the speedboat was carrying tourists and suddenly ‘lost control’ and hit the other vessel. The investigation is being managed by the maritime gendarmerie.

The boat’s captain was arrested

The source indicated that the boat that caused the collision reportedly moved away before returning to the scene of the accident. Its skipper was arrested and placed in police custody, according to the same source.

Another source informed the news outlet that several of the volunteer divers on the Diplodocus were thrown overboard into the water after what they described as a high-speed impact.

Hervé Menchon, the Deputy Mayor of Marseille, tweeted: “On site awaiting the return of the volunteer divers from operation #biodiversitéMarine ‘Species that Count’. A serious accident shook us: the Diplodocus was hit, divers were ejected into the water, and a seriously injured person was airlifted. Heartfelt thoughts to Gérard and his family’.

Sur place dans l'attente du retour des plongeurs bénévoles de l'opération #biodiversitéMarine "Des Espèces qui Comptent". Un grave accident nous secoue: le Diplodocus a été percuté, voie d'eau plongeurs éjectés, un blessé grave hélitreuillé.
Pensées émues à Gérard et sa famille. pic.twitter.com/ApL65HHNi6

— Hervé Menchon (@Menchon_Herve) September 9, 2023

He then tweeted: ‘The tourist pilot is on GAV, the boat at fault is seized. Procedure in progress’.

Le pilote des touristes est en GAV, le bateau en tort est saisi. Procédure en cours. https://t.co/0GqTMBpMVu

— Hervé Menchon (@Menchon_Herve) September 9, 2023

‘A boat passing at high speed tore off the cabin and carried away the pilot of this boat on which there were divers who were taking samples to identify species in the Mediterranean Sea’, Menchon explained to AFP.

He added: ‘More than between two boats, it is the collision between two worlds: on one side a group of divers who ensure the maintenance of marine life and are aware of current issues, on the other, the noise, the fury and a recreational use, carefree and dangerous for biodiversity’.