Accident at Sea: Tour Boat strikes fisherman in Nassau Harbour, flees scene

Bahamas: A tour boat reportedly ran over a fisherman in the Nassau Harbour Wednesday morning who was on a smaller boat, leaving his boat overturned while he fell in the water.

It was said that the tour boat captain allegedly fled the scene before documenting the incident with local authorities.

The 63 year old local fisherman, Ernest Miller was found alive later by the authorities who said that he feels thankful to be alive. While explaining the event Miller said, “He ejected me like a plane.”

In addition to this, the fisherman also explained that it was the screams of tourists on board the tour board which alerted the captain that a small ship was in front of his vessel. The fisherman was very affected and was also thrown in water.

A local named Toby Smith in an exclusive statement said that he witnessed the entire incident and claimed that the fisherman was in his boat in the Nassau Harbour when a tour boat allegedly ran over the man. Smith said that he had no visible registration numbers.

Smith also said that the tour boat was travelling to Pearl Island which is a private island in Bahamas.

The video of the incident went viral on social media which showed an overturned smaller vessel and a large tour boat with several tourists on board circling the area where the reported incident took place.

Following the incident, Pearl Island, Bahamas posted on Facebook that the videos being circulated are of a tour boat heading to Rose Island, not to Pearl Island, and that the incident is not related to their company.

They outlined, “Pearl Island uses 3rd party boats and does not own any vessels. This incident is NOT related to Pearl Island. We are happy to hear that the gentleman in the other boat did not suffer any major injuries and is ok.”

On the other hand, the incident is being contradicted by passengers aboard the vessel who claims that the small boat operator cut right in front of the bigger vessel and they even tried to warn him by shouting and screaming but he didn’t paid attention.

Another citizen of Bahamas said that atleast the man is alive, that is what matter. She outlined, “Whether it was the alleged small boat operator fault or tour boat operator, it was an unfortunate accident.

However, the tour operator should done the most ethical thing and cancelled the tour, until the incident was properly investigated. Where were the marine patrol officers? This industry needs more oversight. What would have happened if that man had died?”