A court in Russia's Buryatia Republic has handed down a prison sentence of three years and five months on a local tour boat captain for an accident that killed five people earlier this year.
The defendant, a 41-year-old male, was at the controls of an airboat carrying 16 passengers on Lake Baikal near the town of Turka when it became flooded and eventually capsized on May 19.
The defendant and 11 passengers were able to swim safely to shore while the remaining five passengers perished. One female survivor suffered a leg injury and was later treated in hospital.
An investigation revealed that the boat capsized after the captain executed a sharp turn while travelling above the maximum speed limit being enforced in the area.
Investigators also found that the boat was carrying passengers beyond its rated maximum capacity of 12 people and that there were not enough lifejackets available on board when it capsized.
The captain also lacked the necessary certification for operating a small passenger-carrying vessel while the airboat itself was not registered, officials said.
The captain will spend the entirety of his sentence in an undisclosed penal colony.
Baird Maritime tracks global passenger vessel accidents in its comprehensive database, which can be accessed here.
