Cruiser dies after dinghy accident in Prickly Bay, Grenada
by CSSN 12 Dec 2017 08:58 UTC
The driver passed too close to an unlit concrete marker that marks a shallow shoal area. He was struck and thrown from the dinghy © CSSN
At 6:45pm on December 4, 2017 it was fully dark and a dinghy with two occupants was transiting towards the dock area in Prickly Bay. The driver passed too close to an unlit concrete marker that marks a shallow shoal area. He was struck and thrown from the dinghy.
His companion yelled for assistance and nearby cruisers arrived quickly, within 1-2 minutes. The rescuers found the man face down in the water, unconscious and bleeding copiously from his head/face but he began breathing again after being righted and brought into the dinghy. The Coast Guard was summoned and arrived after 15-20 minutes and stabilized and transported the man to shore. A private ambulance was called but failed to arrive so after 30 minutes the victim was taken by the Coast Guard to the public hospital in the back of a pickup truck. Tragically, he has since died.
Another fatal dinghy accident occurred several years ago on one of the other two concrete markers in this bay. Those two concrete markers mark the channel (port and starboard) entrance into Prickly Bay. Those markers have been lit since that accident occurred. The ownership/responsibility for all three of these markers is unclear.
Nighttime navigation requires extra vigilance, and appropriate cautionary speed. This tragic accident should serve to warn all cruisers, especially those in unfamiliar areas.
As reported by the CSSN.