The opening day of a public inquiry into a deadly boat collision that left four people dead and multiple others injured in Anse Cochon has seen the captain of the vessel Cazorla Jr admit he operated the boat while knowing his official boatmaster’s license had expired years prior.
Tuesday marked the first session of public hearings for the incident that occurred on July 18, with captain Tyson Hippolyte taking the stand to deliver testimony under questioning from the inquiry commission. Hippolyte walked the commission through his timeline that day, explaining he had departed from Soufrière for Gros Islet at roughly 3 p.m., before beginning the return trip to Soufrière just after 10 p.m.
When Hippolyte confirmed he held a boatmaster license, Commission Chairman — retired Justice Mario Michel — began asking about the document’s validity. Before Michel could finish his question, Hippolyte interjected, conceding he had not checked the expiration date of his license in a very long time. When Michel directly asked if the license had expired on July 18, 2015 — years before the fatal collision — Hippolyte claimed he did not know. Commission members then presented Hippolyte with an official copy of the license, proving it had indeed expired long before he took the helm of Cazorla Jr.
Hippolyte told the commission he had not paid attention to the expiration date because he did not operate vessels regularly. He added that he had only captained Cazorla Jr three or four times before the deadly collision.
In further damaging testimony, Hippolyte also openly admitted that he had consumed three to four beers before he left Gros Islet to begin the return voyage. When asked why he felt confident operating the boat that night despite the unfavorable sea conditions and his unlicensed status, Hippolyte responded in Kwéyòl that his years of experience made him comfortable to sail.