Overview
- A federal probe led by prosecutor Carlos Martínez lists captain Diego Sebastián Bosich and Prefectura Naval doctor Alejandro Sergio Nardelli as possible defendants for abandonment leading to death.
- Matías Vilchez fell ill on April 24 while the Don Nicola fished 27 nautical miles off Mar del Plata, after a radio consult ordered an immediate return he worsened overnight and was found dead in his berth about 6 a.m. on April 25.
- A forensic autopsy found cardiac arrest from a pulmonary artery aneurysm, which conflicts with the shipboard view of a severe digestive bleed and now frames a key question for investigators.
- The family alleges he went about 17 hours without proper care, citing messages that said “I’m dying” and asked for a helicopter, and they say they were not told of his death when the boat docked.
- Investigators are reviewing logs and communications to verify the response and timeline, and the family’s lawyer says he will seek to extend the case to the shipowners.