By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

PASSENGERS complained that panicking staff did not know what to do and provided no directions as their double-decker boat began sinking en route to Blue Lagoon Island yesterday.

People screamed and jumped overboard during the incident, which left a 75-year-old woman from Colorado, United States, dead.

One of the woman’s relatives lay beside her after the incident, rubbing her covered body for about thirty minutes as authorities swarmed the area. They were reportedly on the second stop of a five-day family vacation.

Two other passengers were taken to the hospital for care, and five staff members were among the 100 passengers on the boat, according to a statement from Blue Lagoon Island.

Videos showed people in life vests wrestling about what to do before they started jumping overboard.

One video showed a man administrating CPR to a caucasian woman.

A woman, Kelly Schissel, said in a TikTok clip that it took a while for passengers to realise the seriousness of their predicament.

She said as the boat neared the entrance to Blue Lagoon Island, the vessel suddenly leaned forward and remained there.

Situated on the vessel’s top deck, she said she looked over the edge of the boat and saw water coming in.

“We stayed leaning forward because we were starting to sink,” she said. “And then one of the crew members that was downstairs ran upstairs and was crying, freaking out, absolutely balling, grabbing a life jacket, and that’s when everybody was like, oh shit, this is real, something’s happening. Everybody else starts grabbing their life jackets.”

Ms Schissel said passengers delayed jumping off the boat because they were waiting for staff to tell them what to do.

“They never did because they were too busy crying and freaking out,” she said.

She added that the waves were rough and people struggled to stay above water.

“Yes it was warm, yes it was nice weather, yes the water wasn’t bad, but it was very wavy, so it was not as easy as it might have looked,” she said.

She said no one knew what to do when passengers arrived to shore, with one staff member telling her she didn’t have answers.

 Eyewitness News aired an interview on its nightly newscast yesterday where another woman, Britaine Crittens, said 10 to 15 small children were on the boat.

 “There was no direction what to do, no one helping anyone,” she said. “It was like pretty much survive on your own if you want to make it.”

 Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said rough seas in the area caused the boat to take on water a half-hour into the ride.

 She said authorities responded in a “reasonably short period”.

 Suemayah Abu-Douleh, Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy, visited the incident scene and said: “We wanted to make sure our American Citizen Services was available for all American citizens who need any support or need any services.”

 On Monday, the Department of Meteorology alerted small craft operators to expect deteriorating marine conditions.

 Chief Meteorological Officer Kaylinda Ward-Forbes told The Tribune yesterday: “Boaters know that when you have gale force wind, gale force winds are high enough to probably turn over a small craft. That’s why when we expect any kind of wind speeds near gale, we advise small craft operators to remain in port.”

 She said the weather could have contributed to the accident.

 “It may not be the only factor because I am not aware of, you know, the persons operating the boat and how persons were secured on the boat,” she said.

 Tourism Minister Chester Cooper told reporters that he was not fully briefed on the incident after an unrelated event yesterday, adding: “Clearly accidents sometimes do happen.”

 “This is something that we don’t like to see for residents or our guests,” he added. “No doubt the Port Department is investigating the matter, and if need be, I’ll have more to say on it later.”