6-year-old dies in boat accident! Search underway for missing woman
As the police confirm, this morning, the death of a six-year-old child who succumbed to injuries sustained in a boating accident off West End Sunday night, a desperate search is underway for an adult female who was also aboard the downed vessel.
According to Phil Aspinall, the Operations Manager at Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR), the search commenced last night and resumed this morning. The effort has received major support from several local and foreign organisations.
“The US Coast Guard is en route with a helicopter,” Aspinall told BVI News moments ago. “I’ve got St John Rescue, the police, my boat, and numerous good Samaritans, for want of a better phrase. Family friends are out there. A lot of people are looking.”
“The search continues with all available assets,” he added.
What happened
As for details about the boat crash; that information is yet forthcoming from the police who promised to provide a comprehensive report later.
Aspinall, however, told BVI News that 10 persons — at least three of whom were minors — were aboard the vessel when the accident happened. Nine of those boat passengers have been accounted for up to publication time.
He confirmed to our news centre that the police are investigating the cause of the accident and have already interviewed the captain of the vessel.
Though not yet officially confirmed, the boat was reportedly travelling at a high speed when it crashed.
“Eye witnesses tell me, ‘suddenly it (the vessel) went in the air, everybody went into the air and suddenly it came back down’,” Aspinall said.
Injuries reported from the accident include persons who sustained a dislocated collar bone, a broken arm, and broken/fractured ribs.
BVI News will continue to provide updates on this developing story as it becomes available.
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Always traveling recklessly with ppl lives!! On ahyo boat, on ahyo scooters…a set a sc**nt ahyo iz!!
Sincerely, Shut the f**k up if you don’t have anything positive to say or anything tangible to add to the effort on finding the missing or help the surviving.
…
The is a very sad situation. My condolences to the family. With so many hours gone and the mom still not found, it’s not sounding good at all.
I positively hope the boat captain gets locked up ASAP. There, you happy?!
why was those young kids on a speed boat with no life jackets. hope they find the mother for the friends and family to have some kind of closure..
wear your life vest not a game out there
Well we need to wait for further information as it could be any number of factors but you aren’t wrong in that we even sell “fun” tourist tat with pictures of taxis driving like idiots. We can change this if we want
Just curious, at which point should the reckless piloting of boats be addressed? When there’s been no recent incident and people think the whole subject is a big yawn? Or when there’s an incident and a lot of attention being paid? This is not the first accident this year.
Any point…BUT NOW. ANY OTHER EFFING TIME…BUT NOW!!!!!!
People out there hysterical, heart broken, losing loved ones, searching and praying for miracles….and people going post stuff like that?
The affected dealing with the situation at the moment, you think they need to come on the news sites and see stuff like that instead of us trying to rally around them and help them through the tragedy?
Time and place, man. And now…as the search goes on, is NOT the time to be highlighting such callous posts as the one above. Yes, recklessness and other careless factors need to be addressed, but there is also a manner in which you address them..and that first post is NOT IT.
Had they been included in the ones hurting and searching, they wouldn’t want to see a post like that or even hear someone commenting in that nature, but it’s only when they hurting, they care and look for it. And this site actually let it go cross. A collection of clowns.
Can somebody please tell me what the f…. a 6 year old doing on a go fast boat, period?
Let’s be honest about this – it’s no accident. If you race a boat at 70 mph and it flips over its a crime. The victims are the passengers, the criminal responsible is the captain of the boat. Let’s stop talking about this and start enforcing the law to save lives..
Our prayers go to all those involved in this tragic accident. It’s too early to play the blame game but please can the Govt pay attention now. West End residents have been raising concerns since after Irma about out of control fast boats through this channel day and night and up into Sopers hole. They often speed through the mooring fields especially on Sundays. Experienced boaters are all told to watch out for dangerous fast boats in this area. It should not be this way. Separate to the investigation into this tragedy, it is time to put a speed restriction in from Steele Point to the western tip of Frenchman’s cay AND ENFORCE IT. Put the police boats down there on Sunday afternoons for a while and pay attention to what is really going on. Sensible minded voters know that the whole thing has gone too far. The time for action is now.
My conoldences to all the families affected. You are in my thoughts.
Yes th boat is a very fast boat but that doesn’t mean the young man was speeding! Could bin a malfunction! Steering let go which can happen to any of y’all boaters or a fiberglass failure! And u don’t have to be speeeing for any of these things to happen! Stop bein so negative! Btw at what speed is concerned speeding?
In some countries the bar where the driver/captain consumed the liqueur is held responsible for not taking the keys from a potential drunk driver. Condolences to the family in this time of lost especially the young person.
My condolences to the family and love ones of the death of the six year old.
The captain who is responsable for the lives on the boat, have to live with nightmare and the consequence of his action.
My prayer is that they find the missing passenger.
You are correct on the accountability with the bar. Former bartender in the US. We aren’t allowed to take keys because we aren’t law enforcement. However, it is illegal to serve an intoxicated person a drink. It is also illegal to over serve a customer. They leave the bar and hurt themselves or anyone else for that matter. You bet your *ss I’m going to jail for over serving and the establishment I work for will be sued to high heaven. They will literally come to the establishment and pull up your cameras and your kios to verify purchases. My only issue is is that everyone metabolizes food, liquids, meds and such differently. Someone can have one drink and pop a pill and next thing you know they are smashed. It’s really a tough position and responsibility on those who serve alcohol.
First, my condolences to the family of the missing woman and deceased infant. incident Life is short and prescious. Two Sundays ago I witnessed a situation at Virgin Gorda Marina that was a bit disturbing. Apparently several persons especially young women
from Tortola had traveled to VG for a special event and traveled on several boats, speed boats; not quite cigarette boats. In the Marina I noticed several young ladies boarded a boat tied up likely waiting for their passengers. At one point I noticed a young man and captain of one of the boats walking about on the dock with
What seemed to be a marawhana joint hanging out of his mouth as if he was about to light up. There must have been between 8 and 10 persons on the power boat. The captain based on his dress appearance might not have been a professional professional captain but merely a family member or boyfriend of one of the the young ladies. But in any case it seemed a bit wreckless of him with the responsibility of those prescious lives to display such irresponsibility.
Those are real countries. We, on the other hand, live in Paradise so…no rules, no enforcement, no action.
Ya’ll always come on these blogs and defend pi**. Sure, malfunctions happen but if he was travelling at a MODERATE speed, the impact would’ve been minimised.
Stop with the foolery please! It’s only adding insult to the families that have been affected by this tragedy!
@Micky Mars Again
I am soooo saddened at the loss. I pray that God will bring comfort to the families like no one else can.
IMO, that first post appears to be from someone at a place of deep hurt and pain. My guess is that that individual is in someway related to the child who passed away. The pain being experienced for everyone is very real and expression of that pain can be most difficult at times. I wish the best for all and truly hope that the missing is found.??
Praying for everyone that God will bring comfort and solace to them. So very sorry for the losses.
The government doesn’t want no speed limit cos then the go fasts carrying all the drugs would have to slow down too and get CAUGHT. Backhanders and big drug deals are more important to them than our lives.
at sea is when speedboat drivers/captains need to slow down and navigate with caution.
Reduced visibility at sea is caused by darkness, low light, rain, smoke, mist, fog or any combination of the above.
SLOW DOWN TO ARRIVE ALIVE!!!
the point charter industry made earlier. bvi gov hitting vaca boats with dogs and guns on dock for “safety”
BULLSH—
the biggest risk is this sh– all the time, overpacked boats, locally owned , flying around, no registration or safety gear, but they busting on 7knot sailboats at the dock while these locals causing all water deaths – guana, RT harbor, now here?
terrible.
this blood is on hands of fools who busted up moorings for $$$ needed at crooked gov dept, rather than actually making sure local, intensively used speed boats, are remotely safe.
a BVI islander dies at sea here. Last year it was Frandy in a boat collision now this year a 6 year old child.
Maybe these next 3 months there should be the 6pm to 6am curfew at night on the sea like during the 2020 pandemic!
Even the lowest of animals protect their children. Riding reckless endangering your son and your baby momma to the extent of causing their death…wha kinda man is dat ?
Thank you. Not the time to point fingers.
No life jackets is the tip of the iceberg.
No laws on the books for police to even write a ticket for water safety violations. Boats keep getting more and more powerful, and the BVI still acts like everyone is still using Tortola Dingy to get about.
If this captain ends his life because of all these suggestions that his is worthless after this, would those casting blame at this time feel like justice was served? One BVI LOVE is needed now to strengthen and comfort all families affected by this incident. This is a nightmare from the pit of hell that reality can’t shake. May God be sufficient for those who believe.
Prayers don’t correct the problem. Belongers driving recklessly and drunk is the problem. And they don’t have a license or know boating rules and laws. Yet expats must have a master boat license to work and operate a vessel in BVI waters…
The irony
Response;
A Black man,most likely one of the impoted and predictable member of a certain demographic location. Building up the VI as usual,death and destroy.