The jailed skipper of a super yacht that authorities believe was involved in a wildfire that destroyed a thicket of pine trees on the otherwise bare isle of Hydra has reportedly admitted to setting off fireworks from just off the vessel.
According to a report aired on Wednesday during the prime-time newscast of Athens-based Mega Channel, the master of the vessel said he alone fired the fireworks on the evening of June 20, 2024 over the waters off the eponymous Saronic Gulf Island.
Thirteen crewmembers of the for-hire yacht, the Persefoni I, were arrested when they vessel later anchored in a bay near Athens. The super yacht had been hired by a large group of holiday-makers from Kazakhstan.
“Yes, we set off the fireworks, I set them off. We went out on a rock outcrop near the beach, holding a string of flares…I went out to the beach and was holding a string of flares that I had for personal use,” he said, adding that he was motivated by the prospect of the vessel’s charterers giving him a “tip”.
He claimed that while “practically” all the fireworks all went towards the sea, one headed in a different direction, and specifically towards the pine forest, causing the fire.
The skipper and his second-in-command remain in remand and charged with a felony count of intentionally causing a fire that causes environmental damage. The other 11 crew-members were freed on bail.
