Exuma accident and death

[mjscottinnc]

Mike & Anja Boyd of S/V Rover were cruising in the Bahamas on Sunday March 24th, Mike and
Anja were riding in their dinghy near Staniel Cay in the Exumas when their dinghy was hit by a larger outboard boat. That boat appears to be a local tourist boat out of Nassau. Anja was pronounced dead at a local clinic. Mike was air lifted to a hospital in Nassau where he is being treated for numerous broken bones and is presently unable to walk. It is rumored that cruising friends temporarily adopted their dog Tucker.

Link to local news-
https://ewnews.com/man-in-critical-condition-following-fatal-boating-accident-in-exuma


A Go-Fund-Me page has been setup to help Mike recover. Funds will be used to help with his medical expenses and to help get the boat and Mike moved somewhere he can heal.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/mike-and-anja-boyd-accident-medical-help?qid=f870a9bea9c3435729092def32e6b929

[JPA Cate]

Something similar happened to friends of ours, but only the wife was injured. So sorry to hear Mike has been injured so severely.

Ann

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by mjscottinnc

Mike & Anja Boyd of S/V Rover were cruising in the Bahamas on Sunday March 24th, Mike and
Anja were riding in their dinghy near Staniel Cay in the Exumas when their dinghy was hit by a larger outboard boat. That boat appears to be a local tourist boat out of Nassau. Anja was pronounced dead at a local clinic. Mike was air lifted to a hospital in Nassau where he is being treated for numerous broken bones and is presently unable to walk. It is rumored that cruising friends temporarily adopted their dog Tucker.

Link to local news-
https://ewnews.com/man-in-critical-c...ident-in-exuma


A Go-Fund-Me page has been setup to help Mike recover. Funds will be used to help with his medical expenses and to help get the boat and Mike moved somewhere he can heal.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/mike-and-...092def32e6b929

Commissioner of Police, Clayton Fernander, said [on March 25] the woman's husband, who was airlifted to New Providence [March 24], remains in critical condition.

[flee27]

Prayers to him and all of those involved.

Foster

[category4jay]

This is absolutely horrible news. Prayers to you Mike and Anja. So senseless.

[rognvald]

The once peaceful and tranquil Exumas ,in the last 15 years, has become a garish Theme Park with crowded anchorages, obnoxious vroom, vroom jet skis, and attendant circuses. Of course, you can still sail back North and feed the swimming pigs . . . did anyone call Barnum and Bailey. Sad, very sad story.
Rognvald

[mjscottinnc]

Found this update on FB

A week ago my wife and I were in our dinghy, scouting out alternate anchorages and Thunderball Grotto. A fast moving Speedboat appeared from around an island ahead of us. Initially I could see the skipper and a few guests on the bow and they didn't appear that they would pass too close to us. Then it turned. I turned away to get out of it's path, then it turned toward us again, so I turned back the other direction to again try to avoid. Then they turned straight towards us yet again, I turned away and opened the throttle wide to try to get out of the way, but it was too late.

I remember the impact as this huge hull hit the side of our dinghy, then being in the water struggling to find the surface, and being pulled aboard a boat next to my wife. I remember trying to see how she was, and screaming for someone to help her as I couldn't seem to move. I vaguely recall being carried into the clinic. So much is a blur. I was told my wife, the single most beautiful human being I've ever met, was gone. To say I'm devastated is a complete understatement. I eventually paid to have myself air lifted to Nassau after attempts to be sent to the US failed. They found my pelvis was fractured in several locations, my chest and lungs were bruised and battered, my nose was broken, and I had many other cuts and abrasions. They said my collarbone wasn't broken, but I know it is now shaped different than it was. With the help of many angels in the boating and Bahamas community, I eventually made my way to Ft Lauderdale where I am being re-evaluated before making my way back to Colorado. I will likely write more about this later...but it is too painful now."

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by mjscottinnc

Found this update on FB

A week ago my wife and I were in our dinghy, scouting out alternate anchorages and Thunderball Grotto. A fast moving Speedboat appeared from around an island ahead of us. Initially I could see the skipper and a few guests on the bow and they didn't appear that they would pass too close to us. Then it turned. I turned away to get out of it's path, then it turned toward us again, so I turned back the other direction to again try to avoid. Then they turned straight towards us yet again, I turned away and opened the throttle wide to try to get out of the way, but it was too late.

I remember the impact as this huge hull hit the side of our dinghy, then being in the water struggling to find the surface, and being pulled aboard a boat next to my wife. I remember trying to see how she was, and screaming for someone to help her as I couldn't seem to move. I vaguely recall being carried into the clinic. So much is a blur. I was told my wife, the single most beautiful human being I've ever met, was gone. To say I'm devastated is a complete understatement. I eventually paid to have myself air lifted to Nassau after attempts to be sent to the US failed. They found my pelvis was fractured in several locations, my chest and lungs were bruised and battered, my nose was broken, and I had many other cuts and abrasions. They said my collarbone wasn't broken, but I know it is now shaped different than it was. With the help of many angels in the boating and Bahamas community, I eventually made my way to Ft Lauderdale where I am being re-evaluated before making my way back to Colorado. I will likely write more about this later...but it is too painful now."

This has to be the most painful thing to experience, I can’t even imagine the chaos his mind may be going through in the preceding few moments. Having to lose his wife in a 100% avoidable incident…just cannot fathom..

[gonesail]

sometimes you have to wonder whether this is passive aggressive and purposeful. sorry to know this happened

[Rjstutch]

Absolutely devastating situation for Mike, as well as losing his wife! It makes you wonder how this can happen, yet happen it does! A real big wake up call for all power boat captains, and hopefully this particular boat skipper is held responsible for the injuries and loss of life!

[krivanj]

This almost happened many years ago to us in the north harbor at Green Turtle Cay. A fellow named "joey" from Nassau ran his Whaler at full speed into at least three dinghies returning from Green Turtle Club. We were in a Portabote and fortunately it hit down the side, broke the outboard in half, hurt my shoulder, and then turtled it but we were mostly okay, just underneath it and scared. (It was night and we were using a 1 million candlepower search light while it happened. He was trying to do this.
The next morning we visited the Green Turtle constable at his house. It was a Sunday. He was very courteous and wrote everything down on on a legal pad. When we left, I noticed him, through his jealousy windows, take the page he had written on, crumple it up, and throw it in the trash can.
Later we heard Joey had killed someone that night.
Years later, we heard that "Joey" had been knifed and killed in a Nassau alley.

[Artium]

Driving a boat directly into someone's dingy appears to me cold blooded murder and not an accident. Whether its anywhere including the Bahamas, it's attempted murder for whatever the reason another human would do this deserves to be treated very seriously as more then an accident.
We all have accidents and sometimes circumstances are beyond our control. This accident if I'm reading this incident correctly is attempted homicide and the individual should be treated accordingly.
The man's testimony clearly indicates doing his best to get out the larger boats path and the other driving the larger vessel on unmistakable collision course. Individual may have been drinking, but whatever would cause another human purposely veering on collision course on what is unmistakably a much smaller vessel is a serious intent to harm someone or kill them. Apparently he did, because the man's wife is dead. The skipper of the offending vessel should be identified by name and a follow up on what authorities are doing or have done thus far.
It's unfortunate, we do share our earth with some mentally unstable fellow humans. And someone purposely doing something like this needs to be held accountable. My condolences to this man who lost his beloved wife.

[Kettlewell]

I suspect the driver of the boat just never saw the dink. We had a local incident near me where a Sheriff's patrol boat ran over and sank a rowing shell at high speed. The Sheriff was accelerating, so his bow was up, and the sun was in his eyes, and he never saw the rowing shell. Luckily, nobody was killed. But, this does bring up several thoughts on this. I for one have always wondered why so many inflatables are grey in color. The old Zodiacs in red were much more visible. Maybe we all should consider something like the bicycle flags on a pole

[massnspace]

True story:

About 10 years ago I took a live-aboard scuba trip with BlackBeard’s Cruises, based out of Freeport.

I had one day off after the trip, so decided to go snorkling along Coral Beach—to the SW of Bell Channel.

Had my mask and fins. Jumped in and swam out from shore to look see….not too much, just sea grass. About 10 feet deep but due to the depth I was several hundred yards off the beach.

I noticed a boat coming towards me from the harbor, so kept an eye on it. It got closer and closer, and I eventually waved my arm to alert them. Still came right at me at high speed. I swam back towards shore a few dozen yards; the boat altered course towards me. At the last second, I dove, and the boat went right over my head at high speed.

Came up. The boat circled back and again aimed at me. It was towing a “banana” shaped raft filled with tourists. I again dove, and again the boat and banana went right over me. Then a third time.

On the fourth pass the boat slowed and stopped, and the “captain” asked me what I was doing. I told him. He said I had no right, to go back to shore. That this area was ONLY for boats. I told him I was not going to go back in, there was plenty of room for both of us.

He floored it again, did a big turn, and again tried to kill me. And again. Stopped again to talk to me, and said he was going to have to call his boss. I said fine, do it. The tourists on the banana were in disbelief, as I was.

The “boss” came screaming out in another boat and told me to immediately swim to shore. I told him no. Then HE tried to run me over.

I am an experienced diver so was not worried. As long as I swam down there was no way for them to hit me, so I kept playing the game. In a weird way it was kind of fun, and I was curious to see how all this would end.

They finally gave up, especially after the tourists on the banana started “booing” them. Sped off back towards the channel.

After my snorkel I thought about going into the police and filing some type of “attempted murder” complaint, but decided to just have a conch salad and Kalik instead.

Anyway, I guess the Bahamian folks have some different perspectives on what the ocean is and who gets to use it……????

And sorry to read about the more recent incident. Sad.

[rossdv8]

In some tourist areas we have 'designated' water sports areas, where snorkeling, swimming, scuba and other activities are actually banned - but power boats and human or wind powered craft are allowed.

That sort of balances out the areas where boats are banned from 'designated' swimming and snorkeling or scuba areas.

And usually those areas are marked out with buoys, and sometimes shown on local tourist maps and guidebooks - so swimmers know to avoid them.

I'm not accusing you of being in a designated watersports only area though - just offering a thought on why the fellow may have been upset (if you had been in one).

That's still no excuse for his aggressive boating though.