The two boats which were sailing at night collided opposite the seafront of Fort-de-France. The boat carrying the deceased passenger sank after the collision.
A man lost his life and six people were injured in a boat accident in the bay of Fort-de-France on the night of Thursday August 4 to Friday August 5, on the sidelines of a traditional boat race, and two skippers were Friday in police custody, said the prosecution.
The two boats which were sailing at night collided opposite the seafront of Fort-de-France. The boat carrying the deceased passenger sank after the collision. Six injured were evacuated by the emergency services to the Fort-de-France University Hospital. They had multiple traumas. The body of the 30-year-old man was only found in the early morning by rescuers from the National Sea Rescue Society (SNSM). Significant resources, including the civil security helicopter, the Dragon 972, were deployed at night to find the victim.
Police custody
Two people, the skippers of the two boats that collided, were taken into custody at the Fort-de-France police station on Friday morning, the judicial authority confirmed. “The two boats collided for a reason that is still unknown except that there are suspicions of alcoholic impregnation in the two captains of the boats“, said Clarisse Taron, public prosecutor at the judicial court of Fort-de-France, on the antenna of the local radio RCI. “It is a serious accident since a person died. We will need time to shed light on the events and on the possible responsibilities of each other.“, she added
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The accident happened during the spontaneous nautical festivities that took place during the fourth stage of the tour of Martinique of round skiffs. This traditional sailing competition takes place from July 31 to August 7. Each year, the event brings together thousands of boaters who fervently follow the evolution of these round skiffs around the island of the Lesser Antilles. The last two editions had been canceled due to the health crisis.
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