Three men who helped rescue passengers and crew after the fatal July 18 boat collision at Anse Cochon recounted their efforts before the Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday, describing the injured people they encountered and their attempts to help those still missing.
The late-night collision involved two vessels, Ocean Angel, travelling north, and Cazorla Jr, heading south towards Soufriere. Four people died –Tyrone Paul, Marley Williams, Mhakeida Nestor and Debbie Dolor – and 14 were injured.
Larry John, a security officer at Ti Kaye Resort and Spa, and boat operators Nemius Joseph and Darren Joseph, known as “Caffu”, testified on Wednesday.
John, who was on a work break at the time, said he heard a boat approaching before hearing a sudden crash.
“I went on the dock overlooking the sea, but it was pitch black, so I couldn’t see anything,” he said.
John said he contacted another security officer and his supervisor before going to Ti Manje Restaurant, which overlooks the cove, to assist. A bridge from the resort was lowered to a floating deck to help passengers from the vessels.
Asked by a commissioner how he felt at the time, John said he had been affected by what he saw.
“For now, I am okay, but at the time I felt very emotional,” he said.
“I saw so much blood, so many injuries. Six male individuals…were bleeding and agitated, and I had to tell them hold on, the ambulance is on its way.”
Nemius Joseph told the inquiry he was travelling from Gros Islet to Soufriere aboard his boat, Finding Nemo, when he passed Ti Kaye on the night of the collision.
“As I was passing by Ti Kaye, I saw some lights on a yacht, and I altered my course to port…. I saw some guys shouting, ‘We need help’,” he said.
Joseph took the men aboard his boat and transported them to Ti Kaye.
“They kept saying Tyson [Cazorla Jr captain Tyson Hippolyte] and Taylor [passenger Taylor Riviere] were missing, so we went back to look for them,” he said.
Joseph said marine police arrived shortly afterwards, and he allowed them to do their work.
Darren “Caffu” Joseph also described helping those caught up in the collision while travelling towards Soufriere by boat.
“I was coming from Gros Islet. When I got to Anse Cochon, I saw someone waving a light. I knew Cazorla had left before me and I was not sure what was going on so I put my boat in neutral to look around,” he said in Kwéyòl.
Caffu said he saw part of Ocean Angel in the water and spotted Tyson. After learning what had happened, he said he felt as though he was going to pass out and had to be supported by someone.
He said he took people aboard his boat and was asked to look for four others who were still missing.
“I looked and saw a body floating; we pulled the body out of the water and had to put it on “Chakabee” [nickname for another injured passenger, Elius Nicholas]; that was the only place,” he told the Commission.
Caffu said his boat was carrying about 10 to 11 people at that point. He proceeded to Canaries, hoping the rough seas would calm enough for the injured to be taken ashore. He also said he stayed with Chakabee until an ambulance arrived.
Caffu told the Commission that the incident had affected him personally. He said he was related to one of the deceased, Tyrone Paul, and had been close to another, Marley Williams.
Asked whether he needed counselling, he said he was strong and a child of God.
Commission Chair Mario Mitchell told the witnesses that counselling could be made available to them if they wished, and thanked them for their efforts to rescue passengers following the collision.
