At least five people died and 13 were rescued after a Sever-750 hovercraft carrying 18 passengers capsized about 100 feet offshore on Lake Baikal on May 19. Emergency teams recovered five bodies and treated one woman for a leg injury; survivors included a child. Preliminary reports say the craft was overloaded beyond its 10-person limit and the captain reportedly drove onto ice and jumped, triggering the capsize. Investigators from the Investigative Committee and the Buryat Transport Prosecutor's Office have opened inquiries.
Five Tourists Dead, 13 Rescued After Overloaded Hovercraft Capsizes on Lake Baikal
Lake BaikalCredit: Xinhua/Shutterstock
At least five people died and 13 were rescued after a Sever-750 hovercraft carrying 18 passengers capsized roughly 100 feet offshore on Lake Baikal on Tuesday, May 19, Russian emergency services reported.
Rescue teams recovered five bodies at the scene and pulled 13 survivors from the water; one woman was hospitalized with a leg injury. EMERCOM (Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations) confirmed the numbers in a statement to Interfax: 18 people were on board, 13, including a child, were rescued, and five people died.
Lake BaikalCredit: Xinhua/Shutterstock
What Happened
Preliminary accounts obtained by local outlets indicate the hovercraft overturned after the captain reportedly drove the vessel onto ice and jumped into the water, at which point the craft capsized. Investigators are examining that sequence of events as part of an ongoing inquiry.
Poor Loading and Stability Concerns
Reports say the Sever-750 appeared operational before the accident but was overloaded with heavy equipment and exceeded its certified 10-person passenger limit at the time of the incident. The craft's owner, identified as Natalya, told Komsomolskaya Pravda that single-sole hovercraft models are "very unstable" on large lakes and are intended primarily for river navigation. She warned their maximum safe wave height is about 1.2 meters, while Lake Baikal — often classed as a "sea" due to frequent strong winds and larger waves — can produce conditions in which such boats may easily overturn.
Investigations Underway
The Investigative Committee and the Buryat Transport Prosecutor's Office have opened probes into the accident. Local outlets reported that most tourists were from Moscow and that a 14-year-old boy was among those on board. PEOPLE said it reached out to EMERCOM and the prosecutor's office for comment but had not received immediate responses.
Note: Authorities continue to investigate the exact cause and whether safety rules, overloading, or operator actions were the primary contributing factors.
Help us improve.
