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Another suspect of Syamozero tragedy detained in Karelia

The Karelia Office of the Investigative Committee continues an investigation into a crime under Part 3 of Article 238 of the RF Penal Code following death of children after a boat capsized on Lake Syamozero, Pryazha District, Karelia. The article bears up to 10 years in jail. At the instructions of the senior officials of the Investigative Committee the case has been passed on to the central office of the Investigative Committee for the most qualified, thorough and impartial investigation. The actions of the investigative team on site are being coordinated by Vice-Chairman of the Investigative Committee Ilya Lazutov.

The investigators have detained another suspect today, it is Valery Krupodershchikov, an instructor who was on one of the boats during the tragedy. This way, so far there are 5 suspects, including director of OOO Park-hotel Syamozero Yelena Reshetova, her deputy Vadimr Vinogradov and instructors Lyudmila Vasilyeva and Regina Ivnova. Vasilyeva is now at a hospital and the doctors do not let the investigators to reach her for questioning due to her condition.

According to investigators, on 18 June 2016, some children and adults from summer camp Park-Hotel Syamozero were caught in a storm while boating on Lake Syamozero in Pryazha District, Karelia on three watercraft: a raft and two canoes. The 47 children were accompanied by 4 adults (Vinogradov, Krupnodershchikov, Ivanova and Vasilyeva) who had failed to take account of weather conditions and a coming storm. As a result of bad weather and waves the raft carrying children and two of the instructors was cast up on the shore of an island while both canoes got carried into the open water where the children with an instructor and a teacher could not cope with waves and were thrown overboard.

The victims tried to swim to the shore, however not all of them managed to do that due to high waves and cold water. 14 children drowned. 13 bodies have been recovered, while the search for another one is continued. The rest of the victims managed to swim and then they were evacuated. The investigators have information that when the group had prepared for the trip, the children had asked the instructors not to go as there were rumors about the storm coming, but the instructors had insisted on the trip.

The investigative Committee is taking measures to find out the causes of the tragedy and identify all the guilty ones.

Head of Media Relations                                                                                    V.I. Markin