A fatal maritime accident that shook Saint Lucia earlier this year will now be the subject of a formal, independent investigation, after government officials formally established a four-member Commission of Inquiry to probe the circumstances of the incident. The collision, which occurred off the coast of Anse Cochon on July 18, left four people dead — Mhakeida Nestor, Debbie Dolor, Marley William, and Tyrone Elivique — and multiple other passengers injured.
At the helm of the investigative body will be retired judge Justice Mario Michel, whose appointment came following formal advice from the country’s Cabinet to Acting Governor General Felix Finisterre. The official designation was formally announced through an Extraordinary Government Gazette released to the public this Thursday. Joining Michel on the commission are three other appointed members: maritime sector specialist Cuthbert Didier, retired police Superintendent Kentry Frederick, and current Assistant Commissioner of Police Luke De Freitas. To support the commission’s operations, attorney Shahida Charlemagne-Octave has been named legal counsel, and retired public servant Lenita Joseph will fill the role of commission secretary.
The inquiry carries a broad mandate beyond simply determining what led to the July collision. Beyond examining the sequence of events and contributing factors that caused the fatal accident, the commission is also tasked with conducting a top-to-bottom review of Saint Lucia’s existing legal framework governing maritime accidents. It will also assess current operational procedures and safety protocols for both maritime activity and accident investigations in the country’s waters.
A key deliverable for the body is a set of evidence-based policy and legislative recommendations, which are intended to guide the drafting of an updated, modern Maritime Act for the island nation. All public sittings for the inquiry will be hosted at the Parliament Chamber, and officials have opened avenues for public participation: any member of the public may submit written evidence to the commission, or request an opportunity to give oral testimony directly to the panel.
The investigation is set to officially get underway on September 8, with a final deadline for the submission of the commission’s full report to the Governor General set for March 8, 2027. That final document will be required to include a full accounting of the inquiry’s proceedings, its formal findings on the collision, and the detailed reasoning behind all of its conclusions and recommendations.