Four Injured in Caribbean Sprinter Mangrove Crash

Ports Commissioner Kaylon Young has provided details on a Caribbean Sprinter water taxi that ran aground over the weekend.

Young confirmed the vessel collided with a mangrove island about 20 minutes into the journey through an area locally known as the “Short Cut.” He said all passengers were “safely taken off the boat and taken to their destination. Those passengers that were injured were taken to seek medical attention.”

Approximately four passengers needed medical care for “minor injuries.”

The Belize Port Authority has launched a full investigation to determine the cause and prevent similar incidents in the future. “We carry out a safety investigation, which requires us to see what the root cause of the problem was, see why this happened and then how we could put measures in place to ensure that these things are being prevented… If there are infractions against the laws, then of course we would press charges as such,” Young said. “So this investigation is holistic, both from a safety standpoint and also from a legal standpoint.”

The investigation will also review the captain’s experience operating a commercial-sized vessel and consider weather conditions at the time of the incident, which he said may have been contributing factors.

The vessel had left Belize City at 10:30 a.m. on its usual route to Caye Caulker, Caye Chapel, and San Pedro.