Authorities arrested an Elbasan off-duty officer who drove a speedboat that killed a girl in Potami Beach in Albania.
On Tuesday, victim Jonada Avdia is spending a holiday in her parent’s hometown when the tragic accident happened. She was struck by a RIB vessel driven by off-duty officer Arjan Tase while she was having a swim on Potami Beach, in Himare, Albania.
Hundreds of beachgoers witnessed the disastrous incident. Some posted pictures on various social media platforms of the killed girl’s hysterical father who reportedly grabbed Tase.
The Police Oversight Agency (AMP) said the entire chain of command of the Local Directorate for Border and Migration had been fired after the accident. This division is responsible for preventing boat accidents.
According to AMP, Tase was arrested after the incident due to “negligent homicide,” which occurred at around 2 pm. The Albanian police watchdog added that the off-duty officer was driving the boat in Potami Beach when the incident happened.
Officer Broke Water Rules While Driving Speedboat in Potami Beach
After Tase dropped his relatives off at Potami Beach, he engaged in reckless steering when he headed back to the open sea. The watercraft struck 9-year-old Avdia in the back causing her instant death.
“At Potami Beach, contrary to water traffic rules, [he] inserted the float vehicle into the water space designated for vacationers. This aquatic area has been surrounded by plastic bowls [sic], according to the provisions in the legal acts that normulate [sic] this activity,” said AMP.
Due to the catastrophic accident, police chief Gledis Nano sacked 15 Local Directorate for Border and Migration officers. He organized a special group, which include experts in public security, migration, and professional standards. They will collaborate to avoid future incidents with water vessels.
Allowed Entry Without Necessary Documentation
There was a report that authorities knew that vessels and pleasure boats have permission to wade on shorelines even without required documentation. Additionally, citizens condemned incidents where some use boats without appropriate documents. They also don’t follow the required 300 metres from the beach.
Currently, this is the third incident in that people get hurt and suffered injuries while at the beach this summer. Last month, a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) struck a couple who were just relaxing on a Jale beach. They were rushed to the hospital for immediate medical treatment. The same thing happened to a seven-year-old kid after two days.
The police said in a statement that Nano would “not to tolerate any police officer, leader or enforcer, who does not rigorously and honestly implement functional duties, in the interest of protecting the lives of citizens.”
This season, authorities stated they were performing checks on watercraft and vessels. There were 25 penalized for doing dangerous boat driving in forbidden areas.
Most beaches have no lifeguards and only a few supervisors. This is an issue that was never acknowledged until 2014. The National Coastal Agency trained 41 sports students and became certified lifeguards. However, the agency didn’t deploy its trainees.
According to the decision of the Council of Minister, each entity that has the authorization to use a beach area should provide a watchtower and lifeguard.
Image Source: Samos@Wikipedia Project/WikimediaCommons
