Greek Ferry Captain Admits He Was Asleep

P A R O S, Greece, Sept. 29 -- The captain of the Greek ferry inTuesday’s disaster said he was asleep just before the vessel struck a rocky outcropping and sank.

A Greek newspaper said the captain told investigators he was taking a nap and his first officer was off the bridge flirting with a passenger when the Express Samina ran aground.

The captain, his first officer and two crew members have been charged with murder,neglect of duty and violation of maritime procedures.

Divers pulled more bodies from the Aegean waters today, bringing the death toll to 75. Several bodies have been found trapped in the wreckage of the ship, which sank 115 feet in rough seas two miles of the coast of Paros.

Some of the victims appeared to have died while desperately trying to escape. Divers said bodies were found in the wreckage that had been caught by their lifejackets. Other bodies were found floating in the remote coves that dot the holiday island.

There are fears the death toll could rise even higher in what is Greece’s worst maritime accident in 35 years.

More than 540 people were reportedly onboard the ferry when it went down. Rescuers were able to bring 108 tourists and 365 Greek passengers to safety.

Captain: First Officer Was Flirting

Captain Vassilis Yannakis told investigators he was taking a nap and his first officer was off the bridge flirting with a passenger, according to testimony excerpted in the daily Ta Nea today.

“I went to sleep for a bit, for 10 minutes, because I wasn’t feeling well,” Vassilis told investigators, quoted by Ta Nea. He was woken by first officer Anastasios Psychoyos, who said strong winds were causing problems.

“Before I managed to get there [to the bridge], I heard a‘boom,’” Yannakis said.

He said he was told by a crewman later that Psychoyos had been “in the lounge flirting with a woman.”

Psychoyos told reporters late Thursday that “the weather pushed us on the rocks. We had maintained a safe distance.”