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Two boats collided on the open seas in San Pedro last night and it was deadly. 33 year old Cesar Scott was killed in the collision which occurred on the island’s northern tip – about two miles from town between a water taxi and a boat for a private resort. So what went wrong? Well that’s what Keith Swift went to San Pedro to find out. Here’s his report.

Keith Swift Reporting,
The deadly collision was between this 25 foot skiff “Tio John” which is for the Coastal Xpress Water Ferry and this 24 foot skiff “Right Now” which is the property of the Sueno Del Mar Resort. Phillip Davis and William Pott were on the Coastal Xpress ferry heading north.

Phillip Davis, Accident Victim
“We left here on the 6:30 boat going north and everybody was on the boat, there were six of us, passengers talking and all of a sudden there was a loud bang and the boat just leapt in the air and it wasn’t until a few seconds after that when the captain turned the boat around we realized we had hit another one.”

33 year old Cesar Scott was killed in the collision. He was on the Sueno Del Mar boat along with his captain 42 year old Antonio Tepaz heading back to San Pedro when the collision occurred. Most of the blood in the boat is his. Police say the impact slit open Cesar’s skull and his death was probably instant. There were minor injuries on the Coastal Xpress.

Keith Swift,
“Anyone on your boat was injured?”

Darrell Williams, Owner – Coastal Xpress
“Yes there was a young lady that had a dislocated shoulder which I believe she went to the doctor and had it checked out but everybody else was just pretty much shaken up.”

That includes the captain of the Coastal Xpress Luis Alberto Paz – seen here this morning at the police station. He didn’t want to speak to us but his boss Darrell Williams did.

Darrell Williams,
“One of our boats was travelling north with six passengers onboard and after dropping off at one of the docks he moved out into the main stream again and out of nowhere came a boat which my captain, as he said, did not see anything and the collision took place. There appeared to be no running lights on the boat coming in the other direction.

My captain is saying that he didn’t see the boat at all; so only at the point of collision, at the very last moment. He says he didn’t see any out there at all. Pretty much it didn’t have no running lights or there didn’t appear to be any running lights on the boat.”

Darrell Williams claims speed wasn’t a factor. He said the lack of lights on the Sueno Del Mar boat was.

Darrell Williams,
“From what I am led to believe, speeding was not a part of it at all because our boat was pulling out so at that point he wouldn’t have been speeding. I believe it is just the fact that the del Sueno boat did not have a running light or the running light wasn’t on from witnesses account other than my members of staff.”

Keith Swift,
“So you don’t accept any responsibility for what happened?”

Darrell Williams,
“No, not at all. As I said, by all eyewitness accounts, from passengers in our boat, no one saw the boat coming. No one saw any running light so therefore we accept no responsibility.”

But the truth is that the two passengers we spoke to say that because they were inside the Coastal Xpress boat, they wouldn’t have been able to see if the other boat had on its lights or if it didn’t.

Keith Swift,
“Did you guys see the other boat before it collided?”

Phillip Davis,
“No because it is a covered boat and so everybody was inside for like protection from the rain and we were just talking in the boat, everything was normal and then we just heard the loud loud bang.”

Keith Swift,
“How frightening was it?”

Phillip Davis,
“Very frightening. I feel sorry for the family of the other guy that unfortunately didn’t make it. It is a terrible terrible thing.”

Keith Swift,
“Did you see if the other boat had lights?”

Phillip Davis,
“Like I said I didn’t even see the boat. You didn’t see outside, it was night time and we were inside and we were all facing each other in the boat.”

Keith Swift,
“Was the boat you were in speeding?”

Phillip Davis,
“It was going fast but not faster than normal. The boats here travel up and down fast anyway.”

No one from Sueno Del Mar would speak on camera but they did say their boat did have on its lights. But whether it did or didn’t is a question the police will have to answer later. Right now an island is in grief over the loss of a 33 year old father of two.

William Pott, Accident Victim
“It was like my first big crash so it was very scary. It wasn’t at first like when I was on the boat but when I got back here to the dock, it really hit me then. I didn’t get hurt that much so like he said, I am sorry for the next guy.”

Darrell Williams,
“I would just like to give my prayers and condolences to the family of the deceased person, It is a horrible thing to have happened and we do feel for them very much.”

The captain of the Sueno Del Mar boat, 42 year old Antonio Tepaz is still hospitalized at the KHMH tonight. He suffered a dislocated shoulder and fractured left arm. American-Belizean Lynn Toney was on the Coastal Xpress and she suffered a dislocated right shoulder. She was treated and released for her injuries.

Again no one from Sueno Del Mar would speak to us on camera but they did deny reports that the lights on their vessel wasn’t on. Cesar Scott recently began working with Sueno Del Mar. Funeral arrangements are stalled pending a post mortem exam. The Port Authority is working along with San Pedro Police. We should note that the captain of the Coastal Xpress boat – Luis Alberto Paz has retained attorney Anthony Sylvestre.