Very sad event this evening...

http://sanpedrosun.blogspot.com/2009/11/accident-at-sea-claims-1-life.html

Accident at sea claims 1 life...

Reports are that at approximately 7:30pm, November 15, 2009, two vessels collided at sea in the White Sands Cove area, North Ambergris Caye. The boats involved were those of Sueño Del Mar and Coastal Xpress Water Taxi. Police have confirmed that 1 person has died and another has been critically injured. All other persons involved also sustained various injuries and are being treated.

Been hearing about this all night and was hoping it was not true. Terrible.

I viewed the pics. of the boat(s).....hard to believe that a person died, and another is in rough shape...very tragic. Am keen to find out the details of this accident, when they become available.


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"I only fish on days that end in "Y"

This is truly a tragic event. Our sympathies and prayers to all involved.

Heartbreaking.

A deadly night collision between the skiffs of Coastal Xpress Water Taxi and that of Sueño Del Mar's skiff has resulted in the death of one Ceasar Scott, two month employee of Sueño del Mar resort in North Ambergris Caye; this is according to unofficial police reports. At around 7:30p.m. on Sunday, November 15, 2009, one of the skiffs of the water taxi collided with that of Sueño del Mar's skiff, both carrying an undisclosed number of passengers. Police have confirmed the death on one person, being Ceasar Scott, and the serious injury of at least two other passengers. Others did sustain multiple injuries but which were treated but not classified as serious. Police are investigating the accident and are looking to see if they will file charges to either parties involved in the collision. Ambergris Today will keep its readers informed as updates reach our offices.

Posted by Ambergris Today

THIS IS SO SAD ..A LIFE LOST THIS WAY ..REST IN PEACE ..

A lot of these boats have no running lights and are traveling at a high rate of speed. I am sorry to hear of this tragic accident and trust this will lead to some improvements in both boat operation and lighting. Might even be worth it to put some buoys out there to separate north bound from south bound traffic (at least when it's dark) and requirement to put on some kind of light in addition to running lights when traveling other than parallel to the coast line. Again, I am very sorry for this tragedy and hope we can all learn something from it.

It's my understanding that the Ambergris Caye Emergency Rescue (ACER) Team wasn't called. We have a member that lives about 1/2 mile away with life support equipment on board, that could have responded, along with others in the area that could also respond.

If we aren't notified, we can't help...

Please Support ACER and get involved!

It has not been confirmed if running lights were not in use. It has not been confirmed that the boats were running at high speed. Best to wait until the facts come out before jumping to conclusions.

Thanks Simon for reminding us to get the facts before we react.
The great tragedy of a loss of life will be painfully compounded if this turns into a game of spin and speculation.

amen. leave it alone folks. let some time go by.

5 MPH with running lights MAX AFTER SUNDOWN hOW SIMPLE COULD IT BE ?

I have jumped to no conclusions.

Well, it has been confirmed that people are dead.

Update on Boat Accident

The San Pedro Sun can confirm that the name of the person who lost his life in the tragic boat accident last night is Cesar Scott.

Cesar Adolfo Scott, 33.

He is originally from the Cayo District and had recently started working at Sueño Del Mar.

The other seriously injured person is 42-year-old Antonio Tepaz, boat captain of Sueño Del Mar.

Inside the Coastal Xpress boat were reportedly 5 passengers and 1 boat captain, identified as Luis Alberto Paz. All 5 passengers and boat captain were treated at various clinics on the island and subsequently released. Among the 5 passengers, a female US National sustained various degrees of (minor) injuries to her head, arm and legs. She chose to seek further medical attention at a private clinic after being released from the PolyClinic.

Obviously not that simple. In perspective the boats on this island generally travel less than 30 miles an hour. How fast do you drive your car at night? Tranquility Bay Resort and Sueno Del Mar are 12 miles north of San Pedro, at 5 miles an hour that turns the half hour ride into two and a half hours.

This was a tragic accident and hopefully we can figure out what really happened so that it is not repeated. The two boat captains are both good captains and good at their jobs. Both Captains are experienced and mature. I have never witnessed either company involved running a boat after dusk without lights. Cesar Scott applied for a job here at Tranquility Bay Resort and was a well spoken respectable man. Our Condolences go out to his family and friends as well as the other individuals injured in the accident.

Carlos

I received a call from an injured passenger on the Costal Xpress boat at 6:43 pm just minutes after the collision. One Athletic Trainer, one Registered Nurse and one Paramedic (all US citizens) responded with oxygen and medical supplies and arrived on scene of the accident by 6:50 pm. Island Ferry also arrived and provided a back board and neck brace that was used for one person.

Local doctors were notified around 6:49 pm and ready to receive the injured when they arrived back to the Amigos Del Mar pier.

I would be interested to have contact information for ACER and how to be involved.

It was a tragic event and I am deeply saddened and shocked. Our prayers go out to all involved.

It a situation where SECONDS count, we would much rather go and not be needed, then not go and be needed.

I invested in a local sim car for my phone, for the month I'll be on the island, just in case. (PM me for my direct number, the ACER number is a better choice for emergencies)

But let me back up a bit. My first visit was almost 4 years ago. At that time I investigated the government run ems service on the island and found NONE.

Further investigation revealed ACER, a 100% volunteer organization assisted by Island Ferry.
I aligned myself with them and have been assisting them ever since.
I have been working with ACER to help publicize the team and the response capabilities. I created a logo for the team and donated it to them.

I have created:

A web presence www.acerbelize.blogspot.com

A Friends and Family tracking web presence that was used extensively during the hurricane a few years ago ( www.acerfriends.blogspot.com

A twitter site for both ACER http://twitter.com/acerbelize and ACERFRIENDS http://twitter.com/acerfriends

Collection, Purchase and Delivery of Medical supplies and equipment both in 2008 and even more in 2009.

Teaching CPR and First Aid classes
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So, where are we at today:

Still trying to increase awareness of the team (for ANY Medical related Emergency call ACER at Island Ferry (226-3231) Island Ferry is the command center and they will send help, but someone has to call them.


Increase the number of active team members call ACER @ at Island Ferry (226-3231) or acerbelize@gmail.com

Collect additional funds, supplies and purchase equipment (Donate via paypal acerbelize@gmail.com

Questions, PM me, or email me acerbelize@gmail.com

I have been reminded that I met Cesar a few years back when he was bartending at a resort in Placencia. This is very sad news. He was a very personable guy. LaurieMar and I had a great time keeping him entertained (and vice versa). Very sad.

I am almost certain this is the same young man we met. He was a bartender at The Placencia resort when it was brand new and we hung out with him all day - he played great music for us and served us delicious food and drinks while he was tending the poolside bar.

He moved from Placencia to Belize City, then if I recall, spent some time in England before returning to Belize.

He liked to be called Scott and even sent me some letters to keep in touch for a couple of years. I still have them. I am saddened by this news.

Meanwhile, in Ambergris Caye a boatman lost his life in open sea when his vessel, the Right Now from the Sueño del Mar, was involved in a boat accident. The thirty-three year old was returning to La Isla Bonita at about six-thirty when in the area of White Sands Cove, it collided with a water taxi, Tio John, from the Coastal Express. News Five’s Delahnie Bain was in San Pedro this morning and has the tragic story.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting
Two boats collided in the waters north of Ambergris Cayes on Sunday night. The accident involved the vessels, Tio John from Coastal Express Water Taxi and the Right Now from Sueño Del Mar Resort. Only one of the eight passengers on the Tio John, a US National was injured, while the Captain of the Right Now, forty-two year old Antonio Tepaz, had to be flown into Belize City for surgery to his ankle.

But the impact was fatal for thirty-three year old Cesar Scott, who had only been working with Sueño Del Mar for about a month. According to Officer in Charge of the CIB in San Pedro, Scott’s skull was crushed and his shoulder shattered in the accident and when we got to the scene, his blood was still splattered inside the boat. Phillip Davis was a passenger on the Tio John.

Philip Davis, Passenger, Coastal Express
“I was just going home after having a vacation and about ten minutes into the trip, there was a loud bang, the boat leapt out of the water. The captain immediately shut down the engines, spun the boat around and that’s when we saw that we’d hit another boat. We were inside the cabin, that’s a covered area and we didn’t even see the boat, just a loud bang and we were thrown all over the cabin.”

Delahnie Bain
“Were you hurt?”

Philip Davis
“Just a small bump to my head, but it’s very unfortunate when an accident happens like this. I really feel sorry and I send my sympathies to the guy that was very seriously injured.”

The investigations are still at an early stage, but Manager of Coastal Express, Darrel Williams, says the other boat did not have lights and no one saw it coming.

Darrel Williams, Manager, Coastal Express Water Taxi
“Our six-thirty scheduled boat was moving north and had gone into the ocean and docked to drop passengers off. On the way out of the dock, without any warning, we collided with another boat as we were moving to go north again. From the driver’s statement—the captain’s statement—he saw no lights, saw no boat; nothing just the collision. Several of the passengers have confirmed that they were looking and they saw nothing either.”

But General Manager for Sueño Del Mar, Kevin Myer, disputes that allegation and says his boat is in fact equipped with proper lights. Myer would not speak on camera but he told New Five that he does not know enough to say who is at fault and he is leaving it up to the police and Port Authority to determine. Both Myer and Williams have expressed that their employees are still shaken up after the accident.

Darrel Williams
“My captain’s very, very shook up as you can imagine. When you drive a boat that collides with someone else and it takes someone’s life, it’s a horrible situation for anybody to be pushed upon. But on our boat we had one passenger that had a dislocated shoulder, who has since gone to the doctor and I think had it put back in place and everything so she’s not too bad. But everyone else is just very shook up.”

Officials from the Police Department and the Port Authority are still conducting interviews as part of their investigations. Delahnie Bain for News Five.

Scott leaves behind a wife and seven month old baby. Word late this evening is that Tepaz is undergoing treatment at Belize Healthcare partners sustained including fluids in the lungs, a dislocated shoulder and a broken chest bone.

Channel 5

Two boats collided on the open seas in San Pedro last night and it was deadly. 33 year old Cesar Scott was killed in the collision which occurred on the island’s northern tip – about two miles from town between a water taxi and a boat for a private resort. So what went wrong? Well that’s what Keith Swift went to San Pedro to find out. Here’s his report.

Keith Swift Reporting,
The deadly collision was between this 25 foot skiff “Tio John” which is for the Coastal Xpress Water Ferry and this 24 foot skiff “Right Now” which is the property of the Sueno Del Mar Resort. Phillip Davis and William Pott were on the Coastal Xpress ferry heading north.

Phillip Davis, Accident Victim
“We left here on the 6:30 boat going north and everybody was on the boat, there were six of us, passengers talking and all of a sudden there was a loud bang and the boat just leapt in the air and it wasn’t until a few seconds after that when the captain turned the boat around we realized we had hit another one.”

33 year old Cesar Scott was killed in the collision. He was on the Sueno Del Mar boat along with his captain 42 year old Antonio Tepaz heading back to San Pedro when the collision occurred. Most of the blood in the boat is his. Police say the impact slit open Cesar’s skull and his death was probably instant. There were minor injuries on the Coastal Xpress.

Keith Swift,
“Anyone on your boat was injured?”

Darrell Williams, Owner – Coastal Xpress
“Yes there was a young lady that had a dislocated shoulder which I believe she went to the doctor and had it checked out but everybody else was just pretty much shaken up.”

That includes the captain of the Coastal Xpress Luis Alberto Paz – seen here this morning at the police station. He didn’t want to speak to us but his boss Darrell Williams did.

Darrell Williams,
“One of our boats was travelling north with six passengers onboard and after dropping off at one of the docks he moved out into the main stream again and out of nowhere came a boat which my captain, as he said, did not see anything and the collision took place. There appeared to be no running lights on the boat coming in the other direction.

My captain is saying that he didn’t see the boat at all; so only at the point of collision, at the very last moment. He says he didn’t see any out there at all. Pretty much it didn’t have no running lights or there didn’t appear to be any running lights on the boat.”

Darrell Williams claims speed wasn’t a factor. He said the lack of lights on the Sueno Del Mar boat was.

Darrell Williams,
“From what I am led to believe, speeding was not a part of it at all because our boat was pulling out so at that point he wouldn’t have been speeding. I believe it is just the fact that the del Sueno boat did not have a running light or the running light wasn’t on from witnesses account other than my members of staff.”

Keith Swift,
“So you don’t accept any responsibility for what happened?”

Darrell Williams,
“No, not at all. As I said, by all eyewitness accounts, from passengers in our boat, no one saw the boat coming. No one saw any running light so therefore we accept no responsibility.”

But the truth is that the two passengers we spoke to say that because they were inside the Coastal Xpress boat, they wouldn’t have been able to see if the other boat had on its lights or if it didn’t.

Keith Swift,
“Did you guys see the other boat before it collided?”

Phillip Davis,
“No because it is a covered boat and so everybody was inside for like protection from the rain and we were just talking in the boat, everything was normal and then we just heard the loud loud bang.”

Keith Swift,
“How frightening was it?”

Phillip Davis,
“Very frightening. I feel sorry for the family of the other guy that unfortunately didn’t make it. It is a terrible terrible thing.”

Keith Swift,
“Did you see if the other boat had lights?”

Phillip Davis,
“Like I said I didn’t even see the boat. You didn’t see outside, it was night time and we were inside and we were all facing each other in the boat.”

Keith Swift,
“Was the boat you were in speeding?”

Phillip Davis,
“It was going fast but not faster than normal. The boats here travel up and down fast anyway.”

No one from Sueno Del Mar would speak on camera but they did say their boat did have on its lights. But whether it did or didn’t is a question the police will have to answer later. Right now an island is in grief over the loss of a 33 year old father of two.

William Pott, Accident Victim
“It was like my first big crash so it was very scary. It wasn’t at first like when I was on the boat but when I got back here to the dock, it really hit me then. I didn’t get hurt that much so like he said, I am sorry for the next guy.”

Darrell Williams,
“I would just like to give my prayers and condolences to the family of the deceased person, It is a horrible thing to have happened and we do feel for them very much.”

The captain of the Sueno Del Mar boat, 42 year old Antonio Tepaz is still hospitalized at the KHMH tonight. He suffered a dislocated shoulder and fractured left arm. American-Belizean Lynn Toney was on the Coastal Xpress and she suffered a dislocated right shoulder. She was treated and released for her injuries.

Again no one from Sueno Del Mar would speak to us on camera but they did deny reports that the lights on their vessel wasn’t on. Cesar Scott recently began working with Sueno Del Mar. Funeral arrangements are stalled pending a post mortem exam. The Port Authority is working along with San Pedro Police. We should note that the captain of the Coastal Xpress boat – Luis Alberto Paz has retained attorney Anthony Sylvestre.

Channel 7

BOATING ACCIDENT NEAR SAN PEDRO LEAVES ONE DEAD AND ANOTHER HOSPITALIZED

November 16, 2009

One person was killed in a serious boat accident in San Pedro Town on Sunday night. The victim has been identified as 33-year-old Cesar Scott, a front desk clerk of Sueno Del Mar Resort in San Pedro Town. According to police just before seven on Sunday night they visited an area some two and a half miles north of San Pedro Town at the scene of a boat accident. According to police a coastal express water taxi named ‘Tio John’ was heading north of Ambergris Caye with six passengers, a boat captain and an assistant boat captain when sometime before seven they collided with a vessel belonging to Sueno Del Mar Resort called 'Right Now' driven at the time by 42-year-old Antonio Depaz. The boat with Depaz and Scott were heading to the south of San Pedro Town. Luis Alberto Paz, the boat captain of Coastal Express told police that he was traveling north when he suddenly noticed a boat in front of his vessel. Paz told police that he turned to his right to avoid the collision but the other vessel also turned right so they collided. The vessels were damaged as a result of the impact. Scott received serious had injuries and died on the spot. Also injured was boat captain Depaz who was air lifted to the KHMH on Sunday night. Passenger on board Coastal Express US National Lynn Tonny received minor injuries and was treated and released. The other passengers on board Coastal Express received minor injuries. San Pedro Police say that they are investigating two main causes they suspect might have contributed to the incident. The two possible causes are poor lighting a speeding. No one has been arrested but blood samples have been taken from both boat captains. Both police and port authority continue their investigation into this incident.

LoveFM

Tio John and Right Now collide – one dead
Amandala

The quiet slumber of a cool, peaceful night on the island of Ambergris Caye was broken by hushed whispers traveling from mouth to mouth: a boat accident on North Ambergris had taken a life and threatened several others.

Two water taxis, belonging respectively to the Coastal Express water taxi service and the Sueño del Mar resort, but traveling in opposite directions, collided with each other off the White Sands Resort beach, about 3 miles north of downtown San Pedro, between 7:00 and 7:30 Sunday night.

The Express’ boat, named Tio John and captained by Luis Alberto Paz, a long-standing boat man and tour guide on Ambergris Caye, had just left the Amigos Del Mar dock in downtown, carrying six passengers to an unknown destination further north, when it suddenly met with the Sueño del Mar boat, named Right Now and captained by Antonio Tepaz, 42, who was assisted by Cesar Scott, 33. They were the only persons aboard.

The vessels collided, injuring nearly all the passengers on board Tio John, the larger, and both Tepaz and Scott on Right Now, the smaller of the two. Scott was killed on impact.

Elsa Paz, Mayor of San Pedro Town and Luis’ cousin, told Amandala this evening in a telephone interview that according to Luis’ statement to police, which she witnessed inside the police station, Right Now was operating without lights, and that the accident was unavoidable, since the area was dark. (We are told both boats had lights, but it is not clear whether Right Now’s two-mancrew had theirs turned on.)

We understand that Tio John had made a stop at a dock north of Amigos’ dock, and had just pulled out when Right Now appeared, apparently looking to dock.

Luis told police that Right Now appeared “out of nowhere,” and his attempt to avoid it by turning hard to the right (“to starboard,” in the language of boating) did not help, as Right Now also unfortunately turned right, right into Tio John. Luis sustained minor injuries. Neither boat, we understand, was significantly damaged apart from scratches on their bows.

Mayor Paz also told us that she has been after the Belize Port Authority to enforce the law on lights for boats operating on the island, to avoid incidents like this one. According to the Mayor, the Authority does not even have an office on the island, sending revenue collectors from the main office in Belize City when they want revenue from boat licensing.

The Mayor said that the Express and the Island Ferry water taxis serve the North Ambergris area on an all-day schedule on weekdays and weekends, running until as late as 1:00 a.m., because there is no good road connecting the area with downtown. Ambergris Caye is about 18-20 miles long, so, to move from one end to the other, the residents and tourists use the boats. But they must carry emergency lights and have them on at all times, she said.

She told us that she hopes the incident serves as an impetus for the law to be enforced, noting that the Port Authority had scheduled a visit to the island today. Luis, she observed during his statement to the police, was still shaken up and nervous, perhaps thinking over his narrow escape.

Tepaz was not so lucky; he sustained a broken leg and possibly internal injuries, according to his son, who was on the scene and spoke with Jorge Aldana of the San Pedro Sun newspaper. A female passenger from the United States was also injured and was flown by helicopter from San Pedro to Belize Healthcare Partners hospital (BHPL) in Belize City, while the remaining Tio John passengers all sustained minor injuries and were treated at the San Pedro Polyclinic.

At press time, Tepaz is critical but stable, and while we were allowed into his room to take photographs on the consent of his wife Obelia and the Healthcare Partners staff this evening, we could not speak with him directly.

Obelia Tepaz told us tonight that her husband’s chest was damaged and some bones broken.

The Port Authority has begun an investigation, and we met the investigator, Russell Lainfiesta, at BHPL this evening. However, he declined comment on the record, stating that the investigation is ongoing and he did not want to prejudice it. He was willing to say, however, that the Authority licenses and inspects all boats in Belize, and standard equipment on board all vessels must include lights, first aid and safety kits, and communication devices, among other things.

Police investigations likewise continue, but we were unable to reach the lead investigator, CIB chief Sergeant Paulino Reyes, all day today.

Boat accident victim on the road to recovery On Monday night we reported a fatal boat accident at sea near White Sands Cove north of San Pedro Ambergris Caye. Police say that their investigation may lead to charges of Causing Death by Careless Conduct and Manslaughter by Negligence. According to the cops, one of the boats did not have lights and they have forwarded the files to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for a decision. The collision, which occurred around six-thirty on Sunday night, took the life thirty-three year old Cesar Scott and injured two others including a U.S. national. In the meantime, the condition of forty-two year old Boat Captain for Sueño Del Mar Resort, Antonio Tepaz, has improved. Tepaz suffered several injuries to the leg, chest and arm from the impact and has undergone two rounds of surgeries on his leg and lungs. He is expected to have an early recovery.

Duane Moody
“They said that you didn’t have any light on your boat or anything like that.”

Antonio Tepaz, Victim of Boat Accident
“Ih got light. Dehn put a new light because dehn guys bought a light and put it on di back. On di back di light was not working but dehn buy wah light and put it and so it had light on that night.”

Duane Moody
“In your recollection what exactly happened on Sunday night?”

Antonio Tepaz
“I come from Sueno Del Mar, I ker some members there. When I come back I see wah boat coming approaching to me and I try to go out but I think that he neva see me and I try to go on di beach and from deh I see he come straight to me and I stop the machine and I give reverse fi no make the collapse big. From that I noh remember nothing more. When I reach right here in Belize, I hear that he was dead.”

Duane Moody
“You were unconscious for that time?”

Antonio Tepaz
“Yes.”

Duane Moody
“Who rescued you guys from the…”

Antonio Tepaz
“I can’t remember nothing. When I open my eyes I see the doctor and from den I noh remember nothing. When I reach here the doctor make me some surgery right here.”

Duane Moody
“How many surgeries did you get and for what?”

Antonio Tepaz
“One for my foot that get broke and one for another one to take out the water from my lungs.”

Duane Moody
“What are the doctors saying now are you safe from harm?”

Antonio Tepaz
“He says that I am lee bit safe from that lee bit by lee bit.”

Tepaz says he is to have another surgery for injuries to his chest.

Channel 5

Boat Collision Survivor Speaks

33 year old Cesar Scott was killed in Sunday night’s deadly collision between two boats in San Pedro. The captain of the boat he was in – 42 year old Antonio Tepaz survived and is hospitalized in the intensive care unit at the Healthcare Partners Hospital. He is lucky to be alive and today from his hospital bed he told Keith Swift that he didn’t cause the accident. In fact he says that he tried to prevent it. Here’s his story.

Keith Swift Reporting,
Antonio Tepaz says Sunday night’s collision was unavoidable.

Antonio Tepaz, Involved in Boat Accident
“I try my best to nuh make the collision be. I see a boat in front me. I tried to go up by the reef but the boat was still coming up. I thought I would go to the beach now and at the same time when I went to the beach the boat took the curve to go the normal way and from there when I think to stop the boat to not let the collision be very hard, and I tried to change direction but then I don’t remember anything more.”

Tepaz woke up in this hospital bed at Healthcare Partners Hospital which is where he’s been since the accident. His right foot is broken and so is his right shoulder. But Tepaz is the lucky one. His co-worker Cesar Scott died.

Keith Swift,
“Do you feel guilty that you’re alive and Cesar isn’t?”

Antonio Tepaz,
“Well the man done passed away already. Sometimes I feel bad about it too but if you are driving something and something like that happened and your friend passes away what would you think about it? You feel bad. I feel bad about it too because he is my friend and co-worker too.”

And Antonio says he doesn’t feel guilty because he maintains he did nothing wrong. He says his boat has running lights and they were on – on Sunday night.

Keith Swift,
“The witnesses say they didn’t see your boat coming, your boat just appeared out of nowhere.”

Antonio Tepaz,
“No I had on my lights and as I tell you my one witness is God because I go to church and I don’t have to lie about it.”

Keith Swift,
“Were you speeding?”

Antonio Tepaz,
“Yes I was going a little fast, 45 to 46 rpm but when I saw that boat coming very fast I tried to slow down.”

Keith Swift,
“Even the Mayor of San Pedro said she heard your lights weren’t on.”

Antonio Tepaz,
“No I had on my lights and that is why I am telling you God is my witness and I had on the lights on the boat. That was an accident, nobody has the fault. I know I had on my lights on the boat. That is why I tell you the truth.”

The truth and hard reality this veteran of the sea is now forced to live with.

Antonio Tepaz,
“I can’t walk because my foot is broken until about six months maybe a year.”

Keith Swift,
“When you do recover will you return to being a captain?”

Antonio Tepaz,
“I don’t know. God will decide that, not me.”

The police and Port Authority are still investigating. 33 year old Cesar Scott will be laid to rest over the weekend.

Boat Collision Claims One Life

A deadly night collision between the skiffs of Coastal Xpress Water Taxi and that of Sueño Del Mar skiff resulted in the death of person and left two persons injured.

According to Police, at about 6:55p.m. they were informed of a boat accident and went to the Amigo’s Del Mar dock and found two persons injured and one male person who had xtensive injury on his head. The male person was identified as 33-year-old, Cesar Scott, of West Street, San Ignacio Town. Scott had a cracked skull and a broken shoulder and was pronounced dead at the scene by Dr. Miguel Allison.

In the Coastal Xpress boat “Tio John” there were five passengers along with the captain. Luckily the boat captain, Luis Alberto Paz, did not receive any injuries but US National Lynn Tony received minor injuries and received medical attention at a private clinic after being released from the San Pedro Poly Clinic.

Sueño del Mar’s boat, “Right Now” was being captained by 42-year-old Antonio Tepaz who was injured in the accident and had a dislocated shoulder and fractured left ankle. Tepaz received medical attention at Ambergris Hopes Clinic and was later air lifted to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital by BATSUB for further medical treatment.

In an interview it the Amandala newspaper Mayor Paz stated that according to Luis’ statement to police, which she witnessed, “Right Now” was operating without lights, and that the accident was unavoidable, since the area was dark. Luis told police that “Right Now” appeared “out of nowhere,” and his attempt to avoid it by turning hard to the right did not help, as Right Now also unfortunately turned right, right into “Tio John”.

According to personnel of Coastal Express their boats were checked by Port Authority and all boats were in perfect condition. “We are so sorry for what occurred, accidents to happen,” commented Darrel Williams. “We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to the family of Caesar Scott. We certainly believe that we were not at fault but investigations are ongoing”.

Kevin Myers of Sueño del Mar did deny that his boat light were not working and he states that he does not know enough to say who is at fault and leaves it the Police and Port Authority to determine that.

Mayor Paz also told the Amandala that she has been after the Belize Port Authority to enforce the law on lights for boats operating on the island, to avoid incidents like this one. According to the Mayor, the Port Authority does not even have an office on the island, sending revenue collectors from the main office in Belize City when they want revenue from boat licensing.

There are contrary reports whether or not the lights on the boat were working.

Ambergris Today

I've lived here a long time and know a lot of boat accidents occur. You can argue the pros and cons and whether one or the other had "lights" meaning a tiny red/green and small stern light but I will not go out without a large 100 to 300k white spot or search light burning and showing me what's out front. It is also so bright till no other boat can miss it. Maybe they should add a similar light to the regulations for boats. Alternatively, folks with commercial boats such as ferrys, etc may voluntarily install them for the safety of their passengers.

Having a spotlight on the front of your boat blinds other boaters and is extremely inconsiderate and dangerous if not illegal. It's no different than driving down the road with your high beams on in the rain.

But, they will know where you are.

I agree that having a large spot on all the time is not a good idea, but having one in the boat is great to simply spot the area in front for a few seconds to verify things are clear. A white light in the front of your boat on all the time is very dangerous because it is a signal that it is the back of the boat (stern light).

They may know where YOU are but they would be blinded to any other boats in the vicinity. It would also make it impossible to see your running lights which would be illegal.

The International Navigation Rules are very specific about what lights should be on your boat, when they are to be used and at what range they should be seen. If you comply with the rules you shouldn't have any problems.

Using a spot on the front is not an issue if you are only using it momentarily to see if there are any obstructions in front of you, assuming that no boats are remotely within the beam. However as there is a well defined traffic corridor on AC there's a high possibility that anyone within a mile would have their night vision blinded.


http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules/rotr_online.htm

In England the Scandinavian idea of cars having their headlights on all the time was tried for a while (recommended, not required). Collisions with bicycles went up because against the bright lights of cars, frequently maladjusted, bicycles could not be seen.

C'mon, lets use a little common sence. You look away from a blinding light but still know where it is. I have operated water craft for over 60 years, never had an event. Spots on the bow ? OK with me.

Take a nap, Peter

No logical connect to those 2 sentences.

But of course there is KLC, if ya see a biker, run his ass off the road

radar is a cool gadget

You really don't see that if bright lights are coming towards you, you can't see a puny light just to one side?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I grew up on the bayous, rivers and lakes in Texas and Louisiana and every commercial tug boat and large fishing boat had spot/search lights and they still do. in some instances they keep them on constantly depending on the situation and other times they just flash them on occaisonally to clear the area. You must have the light high enough so it doesn't blind you and at that height you won't mask your running lights.

Your initial sentence implied the trial use of headlights in DAYTIME. Thus, the disconnect. Collisions with bicycles had nothing to do with the suggestesd use of full-time lights on.

A boat accident on Sunday night off San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye claimed the life of a father of two, left at least two injured and several people shaken. The tragedy claimed the life of 33-year-old Cesar Adolfo Scott, a front desk clerk, recently employed at Sueno del Mar Resort on North Ambergris Caye.

    Just before 7:00 p.m. on Sunday night, police were called to an area near White Sands Cove, situated some two to three miles north of San Pedro Town, to the scene of a boating accident. When police arrived, they were informed that two vessels had collided and as a result one person was killed and several people had been injured. According to lead investigator attached to the San Pedro Police Formation, Sergeant Paulino Reyes, the two boats involved were Tio John belonging to Coastal Xpress Water Taxi and Right Now owned by Sueño del Mar Resort.

    Initial investigations revealed that the vessel belonging to Coastal Xpress and captained at the time by Luis Alberto Paz was heading north with six passengers and an assistant boat captain. According to Sergeant Reyes, Paz reported that while on the route, he suddenly noticed a boat in front of him. He further alleged to police that he turned to his right to avoid the collision but the other vessels, belonging to Sueno del Mar, also turned right and that is when the collision occurred. The vessel belonging to Sueño del Mar was captained by 42-year-old Antonio Tepaz, and his co-worker Scott was a passenger. As a result of the collision, Scott received severe head and body injuries and reportedly died upon impact. Tepaz on the other hand received internal injuries, a broken ankle, and injuries to his head and was airlifted to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for further medical treatment. The only injured person onboard the Coastal Xpress boat was 43 year old Lynn Tonny, an American National who was given medical treatment and then released.

    According to Sergeant Reyes, while blood samples were taken from both captains to ascertain if alcohol was a cause, their investigations are pointing to two main things, speeding and lights. According to General Manager of Coastal Xpress, Darrell Williams, based on the account given by Paz, “he (Paz) did not see the other boat and it appeared to have no running lights on the other vessel (Sueño del Mar vessel).” Williams flatly denied allegations that his boat was speeding because eye witnesses stated that Paz had just of-loaded a passenger on a dock. “It simply could not have been speeding because our boat was pulling off a dock so at that point it could not have been speeding. I think it’s just the fact that it appears that the Sueño del Mar Boat did not have a running light.” While the General Manager of Sueño del Mar, Kevin Myers, would not go into details of the investigation, he denied allegations that state that his boat had no lights and explained that his boat has the proper equipment to operate at sea. Both officials from the Belize Port Authority and the Police Department conducted an inspection on the vessels on Monday morning.

    In speaking to The San Pedro Sun, some of the passengers onboard Coastal Xpress, stated that they were inside the cabin of the boat and did not see the other approaching vessel because they were in an enclosed area. The passengers stated that they knew something went wrong when they heard a loud and terrible bang and were thrown all over the inner part of the boat. Both Myers and Williams will accept responsibility for the incident pending the outcome of a proper investigation.

    Mayor of San Pedro Town, Her Worship Elsa Paz stated that the collision could have been avoided given the circumstances of the incident. “We have been saying to the Port Authority that several vessels have been operating without the proper lighting equipments,” stated Mayor Paz. “It is unfortunate that someone has to die before authorities react,” added the Mayor.

    Both San Pedro Police and the Belize Port Authority are investigating the incident. No one has been arrested for the incident and Scott’s body was transported to the KHMH for a post mortem examination. During the night of the tragic accident, a cell phone belonging to Cesar Adolfo Scott went missing. The only way to locate the mother of Cesar is through a contact number that was on the phone. Myers is asking anyone who knows the whereabouts of the phone to please contact the office at Sueño del Mar as soon as possible.

San Pedro Sun

BAsed on our trip for a week in dec I think there will be more of these collisions.

Some of the boat operators operate too fast at night and too fast at night in the rain, and run too close to anchored boats. they do not use good maritime caution, and some boats have inadequate lights.

I did not use the cowboy word but it fits some of the "captains".

Does Belize have any law/requirement to have a flashlight or interior light when carrying passengers for hire at night (loading/unloading etc)?

A VERY unscientific but revealing survey from my dock the other night showed that over half of the boats that passed by did NOT have complete legal lighting. Almost 15 per cent had NO lights. I am very reluctant to venture out in my boat at night because of this. A "marine traffic cop" stationed out there would more than pay his expenses in fines and would go a long way toward saving lives.

What is more dangerous imo are boats using flood lights (that they have installed for docking purposes) driving at night, totally blinding oncoming boats and forcing them to totally stop. That has been happening a lot in the last few months. I think those lights should be outlawed, because they can become a serious hazard for night time boat travel!

why not have revolving orange hazard lights on the water taxi boats to help visibilty, they do go pretty fast despite the darkness, and these navigation light onthe boats are NOT that big or visible

Martyo , i agree with Short the light effects night vision and causes navigation problems.
I'm sure the experienced people know this.
From time to time new home owners and new hotels along the beach erect bright lights and after a few complaints from captains they get letters from the Port Authority explaining this as a navigation hazard.
Century old boating practices don't need change they just need enforcement and the Belize Government has a very poor record of that.

what else has changed over the years is the boat horsepower- now 2 200 HP motors is common.

I was one of the passengers on the “Coastal Xpress” water taxi involved in this horrific accident.
I am very concerned that since this accident I have witnessed many boats still traveling at night without any lights on.
I still use “Coastal Xpress” and feel they offer a safe as possible service, but if other boats continue to operate without lights at night, then there will be another accident.
Now that the BPA is stationed on the island hopefully things will change.
I also would like to see night patrol boats that could stop speeding and boats that operate in an unsafe manner.

I was on a water taxi returning from Caye Caulker well after dark and in the rain a few weeks ago. I had a handheld GPS unit with me and I checked our speed - 33mph. That was slow - I've clocked 40mph on other occasions. I know from personal experience running a dive center that in these conditions other boats can be very hard to see, and I'm sure we were as well. If you're on a boat travelling at that speed, in the dark and the rain, then even if your boat is well illuminated so that others can see it, they can't judge your speed and direction precisely enough, and you probably can't see them.

I don't see how these speeds in these circumstances can possibly be safe.

"Now that the BPA is stationed on the island hopefully things will change.

What do they do?


We are just "dumb tourists" (the airlines will give you more tourists, so we are replaceable) - we visited recently, we have friends who are permanent residents.
Our party of 4 adults has a large amount of marine experience in power and sail and were really concerned by some of the (to us) at least 4 instances in a week, of dangerous boat operation by the water taxis and "tour " operators we saw.

we will not return to Belize because of it.

Some folks may say "Yeah!!", less tourists- I understand - my home town is overrun by tourists twice a year. So whatever size tourism you want is ok by me. I just dont want to get killed just yet- too many other caribbean places I can go to or go back to.

It seems that marine running lights fail a lot in Belize with the salty conditions.

For example, On our Belize boat, I have replaced Both forward running light bulbs and one of my two stern lights within a 2 year period, and thats on a New boat. (Yes I have two stern lights just in case one fails - call me anal).

I have replaced maybe 2 lights in my lifetime (long time) on my many boats over the years here in N.J.

The problem with this situation is that the Captain is responsable to make sure all equipment is in proper working condition on a vessel, PERIOD.

One way to insure that the lights will last longer is to purchase L.E.D. (Lite Emiting Diode) type lights as they have a much longer lifespan and can resist more "Shock" from bouncing around on the water than standard marine filament bulbs.

I can imagine that the LED lights would be quite a bit more expensive in San Pedro but I think it would be a good investment for anyone who travels often at night on their boat.


(Am I starting to sound like Peter Jones with this post?? )

not so much, you did not mention Britain once nor your brother, brother-in-law, good friend or 2nd cousin's 3rd wife's brother.

The BPA (Belize Port Authority) is here to check on ALL boats that operate here, including safety equipment and licenses both for the Captain and the vessel.
We can only hope that things will improve.

Sorry to hear you will not be back to visit us again.

Thanks.
- Is there a belezian requirement / law that boats that carry passengers for hire have lights (not running lights) - like flashlights or cockpit lights ? These lights would be usefull in nightime emergencies, breakdowns, and loading and unloading passengers.

- Some boats seem to have the bow lights mounted in the hull, rather than at the front top of the bow deck. Hull mounting gets makes them lower and less visible.

ed50,

The reason for the Red / Green running lights being recessed in the hull is to keep them from getting damaged while docking etc.

All docks are not all the same hight in San Pedro so sometimes the Bow of the boat can end up under a dock due to high wind conditions etc. theirfore causing a protruding light to be damaged or knocked off.

Over in Britain, my brother, brother in law, a good friend and my 2nd cousin's 3rd wife all damaged their running lights by hitting docks with a boat.

With shipping, (no knowledge of local Belize rules but I would think they would be the same) the running lights must be visible for a certain distance and so many degrees visiblity for each light which would include a red and green bow light an a white stern light. Other lights might be required in certain instances.

My instinct is that many of the hull mounted lights are too low limiting visibility, especially in a chop.

And all docks are not the same heighth everywhere

ed, I have never heard of a height requirement on any vessel but what you say is probably correct. It seems to me that the lights could be mounted on the deck to better affect and to be visible the degrees required.

Great to see an organization like ACER exists in AC! I have supported VISAR in the BVI and am happy to support ACER, as we will be engaged in scuba, snorkeling & sailing on our first trip to Belize this February.

Thanks for your support of ACER, Have a wonderful time on your visit.

what is acer and what does it do in Belize

I hear that there was another boat accident here on Ambergris Saturday January 23rd around 7pm.

This time near Captain Morgans, possably 4 people injured as reported.
a resort boat and a water taxi involved.

It gets very dark in that area at night. I don't know the details however, I have personally (this week) watched many boats pass by our place at night still without navagational lights.

I wonder when the "Authorities" will start cracking down on this practice.

Saturday, January 23, 2010
Four Injured in Boat Accident
The San Pedro Sun has been on the scene of a boat accident that occurred this evening around 7PM.
Reports are that the accident happened around the Captain Morgan’s area and involved boats from Island Ferry and Amigos del Mar. According to authorities four people sustained injuries but are in stable condition.
The Belize Port Authority is investigating the accident and The Sun will be posting photos and follow-up information as soon as it becomes available.
Posted by The San Pedro Sun Newspaper at 9:26 PM

I think it's about time for night patrols by the Coast Guard or BPA. If they cannot do it, The Town Board could hire someone to do patrols.
I also have seen many boats still running without lights.
I am not saying that this was the cause of this latest accident, but it seems some people will not learn that they need lights on boats at night untill they have or cause an accident.
I hope the injuries the people sustained in this accident were not too serious.

I saw boats without lights also in December on our visit.

Do the water taxis have marine radios? What happens after a wreck, that is, is there any one place to call to get help from?

The Port Authority boat has picked up its activity and presence in the area, even after dark. I'm seeing them on the water very often since the last big accident.
Its good to see marine radios making a come back. I hear the chatter from many more sources lately. When electricity goes down cel phones go out also, and for a while the boats where trying to use cel phone contact, the towns electricity service is to irregular for this and marine radio is dependent only on the battery of the unit.

the real question to the BPA is how many citations have they written in the last month for no lights at night etc.

Seems they could write 5 a nite no problem

From Sanpedro Sun just updated
http://www.sanpedrosun.blogspot.com/

SP vessels collide over the weekend

Authorities in San Pedro are yet to release their report on the circumstances that led to a boat accident over the weekend. Just after 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, San Pedro Police received information of a boat collision north of San Pedro Town involving a vessel belong to Amigos Del Mar Dive Shop and another belonging to Island Ferry.

    Investigations revealed that the Amigos del Mar boat, captained at the time by Andre Paz, was heading in a northerly to southerly direction to San Pedro Town when upon reaching an area near Captain Morgan’s Retreat, the vessel collided with another vessel, namely, Dito 2 owned by Island Ferry and captained at the time of the incident by 21 year old Juanelo Kumul. Kumul at the time was travelling in the same direction.

    Travelling at the time of the incident inside Dito 2 were six passengers, four of whom complained of pain including 34 year old Norvencia Arana. Arana told The Sun shortly after receiving treatment, that she had just boarded the vessel and was seated in the middle of the boat heading towards San Pedro Town. “I had just boarded the vessel and I was seated in the middle of the boat, all six of us. We were moving very slow, heading towards a dock when the other boat slammed into us,” explained Arana. Arana related that they noticed the approaching vessel and tried to shout but to no avail. She said that “we began shouting at the captain of the other boat, but he was going with full force and it was too late, he hit us.” A very shaken and frightened Arana was treated and released the same night on the advice of the doctor to conduct further test and medical attention.

    While no one has been arrested, both Paz and Kumul have been questioned in respect to the incident. Kumul for his part denied responsibility over the incident. Paz on the other hand declined an interview since the matter is under investigation. The Belize Port Authority confirmed to The Sun that they have grounded both captains until the investigation is concluded.

San Pedro Sun

“I had just boarded the vessel and I was seated in the middle of the boat, all six of us. We were moving very slow, heading towards a dock when the other boat slammed into us”

Strange. If they had just boarded surely they would be heading away from the dock?

.

There are a number of docks in close proximity at the area where this incident occurred.

is there a count of boat accidents since Jan 1 2009?