The quiet slumber of a cool, peaceful night on the island of Ambergris Caye was broken by hushed whispers traveling from mouth to mouth: a boat accident on North Ambergris had taken a life and threatened several others.
Two water taxis, belonging respectively to the Coastal Express water taxi service and the Sueño del Mar resort, but traveling in opposite directions, collided with each other off the White Sands Resort beach, about 3 miles north of downtown San Pedro, between 7:00 and 7:30 Sunday night.
The Express’ boat, named Tio John and captained by Luis Alberto Paz, a long-standing boat man and tour guide on Ambergris Caye, had just left the Amigos Del Mar dock in downtown, carrying six passengers to an unknown destination further north, when it suddenly met with the Sueño del Mar boat, named Right Now and captained by Antonio Tepaz, 42, who was assisted by Cesar Scott, 33. They were the only persons aboard.
The vessels collided, injuring nearly all the passengers on board Tio John, the larger, and both Tepaz and Scott on Right Now, the smaller of the two. Scott was killed on impact.
Elsa Paz, Mayor of San Pedro Town and Luis’ cousin, told Amandala this evening in a telephone interview that according to Luis’ statement to police, which she witnessed inside the police station, Right Now was operating without lights, and that the accident was unavoidable, since the area was dark. (We are told both boats had lights, but it is not clear whether Right Now’s two-mancrew had theirs turned on.)
We understand that Tio John had made a stop at a dock north of Amigos’ dock, and had just pulled out when Right Now appeared, apparently looking to dock.
Luis told police that Right Now appeared “out of nowhere,” and his attempt to avoid it by turning hard to the right (“to starboard,” in the language of boating) did not help, as Right Now also unfortunately turned right, right into Tio John. Luis sustained minor injuries. Neither boat, we understand, was significantly damaged apart from scratches on their bows.
Mayor Paz also told us that she has been after the Belize Port Authority to enforce the law on lights for boats operating on the island, to avoid incidents like this one. According to the Mayor, the Authority does not even have an office on the island, sending revenue collectors from the main office in Belize City when they want revenue from boat licensing.
The Mayor said that the Express and the Island Ferry water taxis serve the North Ambergris area on an all-day schedule on weekdays and weekends, running until as late as 1:00 a.m., because there is no good road connecting the area with downtown. Ambergris Caye is about 18-20 miles long, so, to move from one end to the other, the residents and tourists use the boats. But they must carry emergency lights and have them on at all times, she said.
She told us that she hopes the incident serves as an impetus for the law to be enforced, noting that the Port Authority had scheduled a visit to the island today. Luis, she observed during his statement to the police, was still shaken up and nervous, perhaps thinking over his narrow escape.
Tepaz was not so lucky; he sustained a broken leg and possibly internal injuries, according to his son, who was on the scene and spoke with Jorge Aldana of the San Pedro Sun newspaper. A female passenger from the United States was also injured and was flown by helicopter from San Pedro to Belize Healthcare Partners hospital (BHPL) in Belize City, while the remaining Tio John passengers all sustained minor injuries and were treated at the San Pedro Polyclinic.
At press time, Tepaz is critical but stable, and while we were allowed into his room to take photographs on the consent of his wife Obelia and the Healthcare Partners staff this evening, we could not speak with him directly.
Obelia Tepaz told us tonight that her husband’s chest was damaged and some bones broken.
The Port Authority has begun an investigation, and we met the investigator, Russell Lainfiesta, at BHPL this evening. However, he declined comment on the record, stating that the investigation is ongoing and he did not want to prejudice it. He was willing to say, however, that the Authority licenses and inspects all boats in Belize, and standard equipment on board all vessels must include lights, first aid and safety kits, and communication devices, among other things.
Police investigations likewise continue, but we were unable to reach the lead investigator, CIB chief Sergeant Paulino Reyes, all day today.