Captains disciplined for boat crash
Investigations into a boat collision earlier this month in the waters between Belize City and San Pedro have resulted in the suspension of the two captains involved, one of them, indefinitely. According to president of the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association, Ramon Reyes Junior, following internal inquiries into the crash between “Big Al” and “Tsunami” on July ninth in a narrow channel between Caye Caulker and Caye Chapel, Captain Rene Rosado, who was driving Tsunami, has been deemed the one who made the quote “error in judgment”. According to Reyes, the association has decided to suspend Rosado indefinitely while the other captain involved in the crash, Emelito Allen, has been suspended for three months. This afternoon Reyes told News Five that safety is their main priority and in addition to banning use of the area in question by their captains, they are working with the Belize Ports Authority to review safety concerns in other heavily travelled spots. Tonight News Five understands that the Authority’s report on the crash is not yet complete but may result additional disciplinary measures against the captains involved. None of the seventy-five passengers in both boats were seriously injured in the collision.
In related news, word out of the Ministry of Natural Resources is that the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association has received title for two point eight acres of land on the southwestern part of the island to construct a new terminal. The area will also double as a hurricane shelter for vessels. According to Reyes, that project will cost some one point five million dollars to execute. Additionally, the association will enter into a twenty-year lease agreement with the government to manage the Belize Water Taxi Terminal in Belize City. Upgrades to that facility will be in the neighbourhood of three hundred thousand dollars. The Caye Caulker Water Taxi Association boasts some twenty-one members who run a total of twelve thousand trips annually between Belize City, Caye Caulker and San Pedro.
