7 News Belize

Crashed Vessel Was Racing
posted (May 21, 2020)

On Monday’s newscast, we told you about a boating accident in San Pedro in which a tour vessel crashed into the wooden Wharf belonging to San Pedro International Marine Terminal. Well, preliminary investigations are indicating at this time, the captain was in some kind of boat race when he lost control of the vessel.

As we told you, at around 5:45 p.m. on last Sunday evening, 35-year-old Horace Bladen, a Tour Guide from Belize City, was the captain of the boat, named “Jackson Nicholasâ€￾, which is registered to  Searious Adventure Tours. He had 4 passengers on board, including the owner of the tour company.

Investigators from the Port Authority were informed that Bladen’s vessel was one of 4 boats that departed an area on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye at the same time. It appears that Bladen and another boat captain began racing toward their respective docks since they are in the same general area. 

While arriving near to the International Marine Terminal, Bladen looked behind him to see if the rival boat captain was catching up to him. He reportedly looked away from the direction his vessel was heading for a short duration of time, but the damage was already done.

When he turned his attention back to steering the vessel, he realized that there was not enough time to avoid colliding into the wharf - as shown on this security video. He then braced for impact, and it is estimated that the boat was traveling at around 30 miles per hour. Due to the speed, the vessel slammed into the terminal’s wooden wharf. The force of the impact sent the boat flying completely over the dock, and all of the passengers were thrown overboard. Bladen suffered minor injures, and one of his passengers, Roy Bradley, received cut wounds to the top of his head, which required stitches, and abrasions below his right eye.

The Belize Port Authority is still in the process of gathering all the necessary information about the accident before they decide what charges, if any, will be laid against the captain.

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