Speed Blamed For Pigeon Point Vessel Collision; Stakeholder Calls For Marine Safety Legislation
A collision between two vessels at Pigeon Point Heritage Park on Sunday evening left several people injured and in need of medical attention.
Owner of Frankie Tours, Michael Frank, was at the beach when the incident occurred and quickly joined others in rendering assistance.
« Immediately when this happened, we jumped in. Everybody jumped in to assist quickly. It’s just a natural response to people, we here won’t just let things happen and nobody helps. We gonna jump in and help immediately. And thank God the emergency services responded very quickly as well so we can get everything moving as fast as possible. »
The accident occurred in the channel between bathers and the reef, not far from the site of the incident involving a jet ski that claimed the life of seven-year-old Angelica Jogie in April.
Mr Frank, who is also President of the Store Bay Reef Tour Association, believes speed was a factor in Sunday’s collision.
« I think the issue here is speed because the channel is used by everybody and we know the channel. The fact of the matter is that I think both sides misjudged the distance in which they were, and they tried to make manoeuvres to get away from it, but in fact they end up in an impact. »
The incident has renewed calls for stronger legislation governing marine activities at Pigeon Point and within the Buccoo Reef Marine Park.
The Tobago Marine Parks Bill was passed by the THA in April and subsequently submitted to Parliament for consideration. The Bill is currently being reviewed by a Parliamentary Committee.
Secretary of Tourism, Antiquities and Creative Industries, Zorisha Hackett, said the proposed legislation would provide a formal regulatory framework for measures including no-wake zones in areas of the channel used by bathers.
In the meantime, she said the THA continues to use guidelines, signage and public education to encourage mariners to reduce their speed while passing through the channel.
There is also concern regarding the classification of the vessels involved in Sunday’s incident. Both are registered as fishing vessels, carrying a TFT ID, rather than tour vessels, which carry a TL ID.
While Mr Frank has concerns about some provisions of the Tobago Marine Parks Bill, he said legislation is also needed to regulate vessels carrying passengers.
« We have to have legislation. It cannot be that anybody could just jump on or buy a boat and decide to go and do whatever. »
The incident has already raised concerns among visitors about their safety when taking reef tours at one of Tobago’s most popular tourism sites. But Mr Frank said visitors using properly licensed tour operators should not be concerned.
« Reef tours are very slow-moving boats, so this type of accident would not happen with a reef boat. You might have two boats jamming together like this, but never to cause injury, damages or any major problems. »
In the meantime, Secretary Hackett has praised the lifeguards and first responders at Pigeon Point for their efficient response in assisting those injured.
