The United Kingdom government has published its accident investigation report into a charter boat incident off Anguilla in 2023 that claimed the lives of two people.
The report examines the safety issues that led to the deaths when a small commercial vessel operated by Calypso Charters entered rough water in a cove near West End.
It goes on to offer recommendations to several agencies in Anguilla on improving safety, passenger management, and emergency preparedness to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The investigation was carried out by the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) following a request from Anguilla’s former governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam in 2023.
It took place in accordance with the memorandum of understanding between the MAIB and the Red Ensign Group Category 2 registry – the Anguilla Maritime Administration.
Marine safety investigations aim to determine the causes of accidents at sea, and not to establish blame or liability.
The incident
Calypso 2 had been hired for an excursion around Anguilla on 10 March, 2023, however the trip was postponed due to adverse weather conditions, the report explained.
It was rearranged for the following day, and while the weather had improved overnight, high surf and swells remained in areas where there was a steep drop-off from the coast.
On 11 March, 2023, the 38-foot boat left Rendezvous Bay with a family of two adults and two children passengers, visiting from the United States, and two crew.
The boat travelled along the coastline before eventually entering a cove near West End on the north-west coast of the island where the Anguilla Arch, a popular tourist attraction, is located.
It adopted a ‘beam on’ position to the large waves breaking near the coastline and they struck the side of the vessel washing everyone overboard.
No one was wearing a personal flotation device.
The female mate, Shanika Thomas from St Vincent, and the adult female passenger, Robin Rosenberg, tragically lost their lives by drowning.
The other three passengers and the skipper were recovered by combined land and sea rescue teams and taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for treatment before later being released.
The boat was eventually torn apart upon impact with the limestone and coral cliffs.
Safety issues
The investigation concluded that there were several safety issues which, in combination, led to the two deaths.
The decision to enter the cove in the prevailing sea conditions was a “serious misjudgement” and “ill conceived” and there was no specific plan or consideration of the danger in doing so, the report said.
“Once Calypso 2 was in the cove it was at high risk of being carried inshore by the surf and ground seas,” it read.
Calypso Charters, a family business founded in 2010 and based in Blowing Point, operated 14 boats at the time of the incident, offering excursions around Anguilla and nearby islands.
The report said the the company did not have a safety management system that provided sufficient guidance to its skippers for the planning and safe execution of excursions.
It continued to say that the maritime risks presented by the operation of small commercial vessels in Anguillan waters had not been adequately assessed.
And, while the search and rescue operation was effected promptly, there were omissions in the procedures and equipment available to the first responders.
Recommendations
A recommendation has been made to the Anguilla Maritime Administration and Shipping Registry to work with the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Together they are advised to develop and implement a marine safety management system to ensure that operational risks are adequately assessed and managed.
Also, to ensure that the installation of automatic identification systems and safety management requirements are verified during routine small commercial vessel inspections.
Recommendations have also been made to Calypso Charters to develop and implement a safety management system for its domestically operating commercial vessels.
And to the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service and the Royal Anguilla Police Force for the provision of additional equipment and the updating of triage procedures.
This aims to improve their ability to respond to maritime emergencies.
The 40-page accident investigation report can be read in full here.
