Russian swimmer cut in half by boat propeller
By IANSThursday, July 22, 2010
MOSCOW - A Russian swimmer’s life ended in tragedy after a speeding yacht spun out of control and cut her into half, even as the boat captain remained unrepentant, saying “if I stopped, I would have chopped up lots of people”.
The accident occurred in the Pirogovskoye reservoir after swimmers asked a passing yacht to create some waves for them. But after speeding up, captain Sergei Marchenko, 57, apparently lost control before running over Olesia Ivanova, 25, cutting her in half with his propeller, Moscow News reported.
Ivanova was seriously injured and died later in hospital.
Although eye-witnesses said Sergei Marchenko stopped briefly before speeding from the scene, he was unrepentant in an interview with Life News.
Marchenko said he had no intention of fleeing the spot and would have called the emergency services if he had known of Ivanova’s injuries.
“Why did I not slow down at once? Because if I stopped, I would have been carried over and chopped up lots of people. I knew that I would kill one or two, but would at least save the others,” he was quoted as saying.
He claimed he was an experienced mariner, both at sea and on inland waters.
The man who had rented the yacht was arrested, and could face five years in prison for careless use of transport causing the death of a person. Police are continuing investigation into the incident.
