Joshua Parfitt
THIS is the moment a low-cost ferry bus nearly smashes into a 154-metre-long passenger behemoth between Ibiza and Formentera.
Videos show a handful of screaming travellers aboard the ‘Kontiki II’ ferry boat as the ‘Bahama Mama’ passenger ship appears to be on a direct collision course.
A passenger then jumps overboard as the boats narrowly miss each other on the Es Freus straight between the two Balearic destinations.
The incident reportedly happened at 12.38pm on Tuesday.
The captain of the Bahama Mama – which runs a daily route between Denia, Ibiza and Palma – spotted the Kontiki II in its path and blasted its foghorn several times.
Due to the size and speed of the 1,000-capacity passenger ferry, operated by Balearia, its movement is heavily restricted in the Es Freus strait.
A spokesperson for Aquabus, which operates the low-cost Kontiki II between Formentera and Ibiza, accused the Bahama Mama of ‘doubling its speed’ as both boats were nearing port.
The company said they ‘reserve the right to judge who is in the wrong’, but nevertheless fired the Kontiki II’s captain on Wednesday.
“Clients should not have to live a situation like the one that occurred yesterday,” the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Balearia maintained the ship had blasted its foghorn and ‘turned off all engines’ to avoid a collision.
Maritime captain of Ibiza and Formentera, Luis Gascón, said: “The situation must be investigated, to determine which side has acted correctly.
“The risk was huge for both the small ship and the big one in a complicated environment like Es Freus, a place with a lot of traffic and little room.
The ‘motives and behaviour’ of both captains will now be analysed and released in a report from the Commission of Investigation of Accidents and Maritime Incidents (CIAIM).
The spokesman for Aquabus maintained there was no ‘material or personal damage’ resulting from this incident.
