Panama Maritime Authority offers guidance to shipowners and operators on how to respond in cases of natutal death and suicide, onboard Panama-registered vessels.
To remind the Panama Maritime Authority issued Merchant Marine Notice 07/2021, providing a standard guide of facts in cases of theft, sexual assault, natutal death, suicide and homicide on Panama-flagged ships.
In the second section of the marine notice, the Authority focuses on the cases of natutal death and suicide.
NATURAL DEATH / SUICIDE
STEP 1: The captain of the ship will send the death certificate of the passenger and / or crew member on board the ship and the corresponding report from the authorities of port of destination to the email [email protected], corresponding to the Maritime Affairs Investigation Department of the General Directorate of Merchant Marine of the Panama Maritime Authority.
STEP 2: The Maritime Affairs Investigation Department of the General Directorate of Merchant Marine of the Panama Maritime Authority, will verify and examine all the documentation sent by the captain of the ship and if it is in accordance with the requirements of the previous paragraph, it will forward it to the Resolutions and Inquiries Department through a detailed and thorough report.
STEP 3: The Resolutions and Inquiries Department of the General Directorate of Merchant Marine will examine the documentation received by the Maritime Affairs Investigation Department and if it is satisfactory, it will be included in the file of the ship, for the issuance at the request of the interested party, the certificate of death by the flag state.
