Lieutenant Carlon Antoine Bethel of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force presented two scenarios on Monday that could have resulted in the fatal collision between the motor vessels United Star and Sea Hauler on Aug. 2.
Wreck Commissioner Joseph Strachan presides over the hearing, assisted by assessors, Sir Durward Knowles, a former marine pilot and former Royal Bahamas Defence Force Commodore, Leon Smith.
Mr. Bethel said on the date in question, he captained the motor vessel HMBS Inagua with the number P 27 attached. When his vessel arrived at the scene at about 11:44 a.m., there was no debris or people in the water.
The officer explained how the collision at sea could have taken place, which claimed the lives of four persons who were travelling to Cat Island for Regatta celebrations.
“I believe that there were one of two situations that occurred. The first is a meeting situation,” which he explained is when two boats meet head on.
“However actions to avoid each other was taken by one vessel and the other did not, and it was taken a bit late. Either that or there was a crossing situation and at the point of crossing, they crossed where one vessel’s bow hit the stern of the other, instead of crossing where they collided bow to bow. Those were the two beliefs that I came to,” he said.
Based on what he saw at the scene, Lt. Bethel said, “In the meeting situation, I was under the opinion that the United Star stood on and the Sea Hauler tried to turn.
“And I think there was an impact to the stern, because the action was taken a bit too late.
“And in the crossing situation, I was under the impression that, neither vessel took any action at all,” he said noting that the point of impact happened to be where it was.”
Moreover, he said he could not say for certain which vessel did what, because he would have had to be privy to radio communication, weather conditions, vessel co-ordinates, speed, whether or not the look out was present, etc.
“A crossing situation,” he said, “is a situation where vessels are going to cross each other and there maybe a possibility for a collision. The rules that govern a crossing situation, state that the vessel, which has the other on the starboard bow, is the vessel that should give way.”
The officer testified that there was damage to both vessels, with the Sea Hauler showing more extensive damages. With regard to the hydraulic crane on the MV Sea Hauler he said, “I observed that the crane had been severed from the deck. It was lying on the aft deck of the Sea Hauler.”
Mr. Bethel said radio communications were made with both vessels giving instructions as to what side P27 (his vessel) would come alongside or which way the boat would attempt to approach the vessel to render assistance. He also said he never left his vessel to go on either motor vessel.
The Defence Force vessel left the accident scene at 1:01 p.m. He said there appeared to be no radio difficulties with either vessel when communications were made with them.
The witness also testified that if there were either a crossing or head on situation, radio communication would be expected between both vessels as a normal nautical practice.
According to the rules of the road, light and sound signals could also be used to show one’s intention. In a head on situation, one would indicate that they were turning starboard, (to the right). The other vessel should indicate the same.
“We would do that by either flashing one short flash, which is about a second. Or one sound of the horn for about a second in one short blast,” he explained.
Lt. Bethel said no indication was made to state whether or not, the horn or the lights were working on either of the vessels involved in the collision.
He said that neither the United Star nor Sea Hauler were anchored. “I could not observe whether the engines were running,” he said indicating that he saw no propulsion in the water.
Lt. Bethel said several members of his crew were dispatched to assist with the removal of four bodies from one of the Sea Hauler. The witness said the boats were alongside each other, held together with ropes.
He said if an emergency presented itself he would not leave the vessels in the hands of an inexperienced first mate.
Lt. Chappell Whyms’ testimony
Lt. Chappell Whyms, Navigation officer on board the HMBS Bahamas, said on the date in question, he was Operations officer at the Coral Harbour base, where he received a call from the Police control room.
Information received stated that around 1:45 a.m., the Sea Hauler had collided with a barge at sea in the area of Beacon Cay. At that time he said no other information was received.
He said he tried to ascertain a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) of the accident, to be able to send assistance from the base or someone from the US Coast Guard.
“The best effort I had was to go through the Land and Sea Park, because at that time we were able to contact by land line (telephone) and seeing that they were the nearest base in that area, I thought it would be best that they would be able to raise either the Sea Hauler or other vessel by radio,” he said.
Around 2 a.m., he said that he received a call from the land and sea park, which stated the position of where the vessels. “The position was given as 24 degrees, 42 minutes north and 76 degrees, 26. 68 west or you can place that eight nautical miles west of South Eleuthera as a general position,” he said.
The information was passed onto District 7, which was the Miami Coast Guard Group and also to Defence Force vessel headed north. He said he made contact with Defence Force vessel P121 and P27 HMBS Inagua was also dispatched to the scene at about 7.41 a.m.
Lt. Whyms said, that he took it that the co-ordinates were sufficient for them to find the accident on the seas. The witness said he received information that the United Star and Sea Hauler had drifted. “They reported that both vessels were tied together and drifting. At the time the US Coast Guard was attempting to evacuate persons; the critically injured,” he said.
By Jimenita Swain, The Nassau Guardian
