A public Commission of Inquiry probing the fatal July 18 boat collision between two vessels, the Cazorla Jr and Ocean Angel, that claimed four lives off the coast of Saint Lucia has heard damning testimony of systemic safety gaps that treat local passengers differently from paying tourists.
On the second day of public hearings, survivor Lester Jean – one of six witnesses called to testify – told the commission that it is longstanding standard practice for local boat operators in Saint Lucia to skip safety briefings for local passengers, only providing the mandatory information to tourists who pay higher fares for their trips. Jean, who has decades of experience working in the island’s water sports industry and has taken countless boat trips across the island, confirmed he had never received a safety briefing as a local resident, regardless of which vessel he was traveling on.
Jean, who was hitching a ride on the Cazorla Jr between Soufrière and Castries that fateful night, recalled hearing a deafening impact moments into the return journey to Soufrière, which threw him overboard. After the collision, the Cazorla Jr’s remaining passengers and owner attempted to steer the damaged vessel to shore, but it ultimately sank. Due to a prosthetic right eye, Jean testified that he could not see any activity to his right, including oncoming vessel lights before the collision. He also recounted how he immediately helped retrieve life jackets after the impact, put one on himself, and jumped into the water to assist other passengers, drawing on his lifelong experience as a strong swimmer. When he swam to a nearby yacht to call for emergency help, Jean told the commission he was met with hostility, with the yacht’s owner mistaking him for an intruder. Commission chairman Mario Michel intervened at this point, noting that this specific incident is the subject of an ongoing police case and advised Jean against making any prejudicial statements. Jean confirmed other survivors were eventually picked up by a passing boat and taken to Ti Kaye to await emergency ambulance services.
Multiple other survivors who testified across the two days of hearings echoed Jean’s claims of widespread safety non-compliance. Romean Williams, who was traveling with his girlfriend Taylor Riviere on the Ocean Angel, told the commission he had requested a life jacket before the collision – an unusual request, as local passengers almost never wear life jackets on short trips, since most are strong swimmers and it is not local custom. Just five minutes after Williams put on his life jacket, the collision occurred, throwing both passengers into the water. Riviere sustained a broken leg in the impact, and after clinging to the partially submerged Ocean Angel with help from a boat captain, she instructed Williams to call her father for help, given his connections to expedite emergency response. Rescue teams eventually retrieved the unresponsive body of Makeda Nestor, who was later pronounced dead in hospital. All surviving passengers were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
Other witnesses testifying Wednesday included Cazorla Jr passengers Jean Pierre Ralph Edward, Janelle Butcher, and Chris Jn Baptiste. Edward’s testimony contained inconsistencies regarding his boating certification, and the commission ordered him to submit all supporting documentation to the Soufrière Police Station by noon on October 16. Butcher pushed back against earlier claims that he served as a lookout aboard the Cazorla Jr, noting inconsistencies between his original police statement and inquiry testimony, which the commission highlighted for further review.
Following Wednesday’s testimony, the public inquiry has been adjourned until October 21, when hearings will resume to hear additional evidence and witness statements.