The authorities are looking for a 39-year-old sailor named Pablo Velázquez after he fell into the waters of the La Plata River on June 19 while working on a boat.
The incident occurred on June 19, but was reported only on the 24th. The person was working for a tugboat company when, according to the film record, he fell from the dock at the height of the dock where the Navy ships are, in front of where the Buquebus company is located.
The Single National Union of Sea and Allied Workers (SUNTMA) denounced that the company for which the man works, Reyla SA, “took 6 days to find the accident in the recordings, knowing that the search was intense by his family. , without cooperating with the search for the partner”.
They also denounced, through a statement, that the company “did not communicate with the family and does not want to provide them with the video that shows the accident.”
“The company presumes that the sailor was drunk to disclaim responsibility, although it did not prove it,” he added.
SUNTMA assures that Reyla “does not comply with occupational risk prevention regulations, since it does not have a sailor on duty who must carry out ISPS controls (Protection of ports and ships for companies) on vessels that are not operational.
According to the union, the family of Velázquez, a deckhand father of four children, “systematically consulted the company without receiving news.” As a result of this, he made the complaint.
“We express our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues for this irreparable loss that causes us so much pain and outrage,” he concludes.
The video was immediately sent to authorities, the company said.
For its part, this Monday the company issued a statement stating that they sent the video of the accident “immediately” to the authorities. In turn, they assured that the innocent occurred after the worker’s departure time.
«On Wednesday the 22nd in the afternoon, when the family consulted regarding Pablo’s absence from his usual places, they began to suspect that something might have happened. On Thursday the 23rd, videos from the company’s security cameras began to be reviewed and, after an exhaustive search, on Friday the 24th at night an image was found that shows the exact moment of Pablo’s fall into the water. Pablo slipped when he was trying to get on the ship », added the company.
In the document they indicate that there was an “action of completely accidental appearance, which was not perceived by the night watchman who performs functions at that time.”
Reyla maintains that the video will not be released publicly or sent beyond the authorities “for legal and ethical reasons.”
From the company they assure that it is the first time in 60 years of work that something similar has happened. “Our commitment to strict compliance with labor and safety regulations will remain firm,” they add.
“Our solidarity with the family and our wishes that we can soon find Pablo,” they conclude.
