Luxury Yacht Captain Pleads Guilty in Death of Boater off Coast of Westerly

Luxury Yacht Captain Pleads Guilty in Death of Boater off Coast of Westerly

Licensed Luxury Yacht captain Cooper “Chick” Bacon pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of seaman’s manslaughter after he was at the helm of a 60-foot luxury yacht when it collided with a 23-foot powerboat in waters off the coast of Westerly.

The collision took place on September 22, 2015, and resulted in the death of Walter Krupinski, 81, of Norwalk, Connecticut. Krupinski was the only person on the powerboat, the Peggy K.

Bacon, of Cape May, New Jersey, was hired to pilot the luxury boat, the Princess 60, from Newport to a boat show in Stamford, Connecticut.

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He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2019.

The Incident

According to information presented to the Court, GPS data collected from the GPS system aboard the Princess 60 indicated the yacht approached the powerboat at an average speed of 25.2 knots. The Princess 60 was equipped with an operating horn, VHF marine radiotelephone, navigation system, and radar system, among other safety equipment.

Prior to the collision, Bacon failed to take precautions required by the ordinary practice of a seaman. Bacon did not post his First Mate to lookout, did not make proper use of radar, and did not himself see the powerboat in time to avoid the collision. As a result of his failure to see the Peggy K, Bacon did not make passing arrangements, sound the horn, change course, slacken speed, or stop or reverse propulsion to avoid a collision.

After the collision, Bacon failed to make proper use of the VHF marine radiotelephone by notifying the United States Coast Guard of the emergency.

Krupinski died as a result of multiple blunt force injuries sustained when the 67,241-pound yacht ran up and over the open cockpit of the powerboat.