AN inquest has opened into the death of L’Ecume II skipper Michael Michieli, after his body was recovered from the wreckage of the trawler.
Following a hearing lasting 17 minutes at Morier House in St Helier on Friday afternoon, Mr Michieli’s body was released to his family for cremation, with the inquest adjourned until a later date.
Deputy Viscount Mark Harris told members of Mr Michieli’s family who attended the hearing that he was very sorry for their loss, adding that ‘it may be some time, maybe a very long time, before this inquest concludes’.
The hearing was told that inquest will resume after the conclusion of twin investigations into the collision between L’Ecume II and the Commodore Goodwill at 5.35am on 8 December last year, which resulted in the loss of three lives: Mr Michieli, whose body was recovered from the seabed on 26 April, and Filipino crewmen Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyun, whose bodies were found on 15 December.
Advocate Harris said the preliminary cause-of-death was pending and would be determined through the result of histology and toxicology tests.
