The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

SEVEN people were taken to hospital on Monday night after a “rogue wave” struck the Bo Hengy III while the boat was passing through the ‘Devil’s Backbone’ on its way back to the capital.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Bahamas Fast Ferries said the Bo Hengy III was hit by the wave shortly after 4pm in waters off Eleuthera.

The impact caused two glass windows to shatter and water began “filling in the cabin where passengers were seated”.

“A Bahamas Ferries Ltd vessel, m.v. Bo Hengy III, was struck by a rogue wave while on a regularly scheduled service between Harbour Island to Spanish Wells shortly before 4 (pm),” the statement said.

“The wave struck the bow of the vessel, compromising two of the forward-facing windows of the lower passenger cabin. The impact of the wave forced water into the cabin where passengers were located. Water intrusion was confined to the ship’s deck and the main passenger cabin as designed.”

Bahamas Ferries Sales & Marketing Manager Darnell Frazer credited the captain and the crew for getting all the passengers to New Providence safely.

“We are proud of our dedicated captain and crew that safely brought our passengers to port this evening following an unexpected event this afternoon. We greatly appreciate our customers’ understanding as we manage to work through this incident. Our primary focus as a company remains the maintenance of a high level of service with passenger safety as a priority,” Ms Frazer said.

“Bo Hengy III is currently safely located at its berth at Potter’s Cay Dock in Nassau Harbour. As a result of the incident seven passengers experienced injuries; these passengers were accompanied to Doctors Hospital where they were treated.”

Yesterday, meteorologist Jeffery Greene said the Met Office sent two advisories on Monday warning small craft operators of the rough seas and strong wind.

“There was a caution sent from the morning at about 6am and then another in the afternoon,” Mr Greene said.

“But it is always rough in the Devil’s Back; even if there is light wind, the sea in that area is rough. Normally when the weather is bad boats normally don’t sail through there. The seas were rough but it is not that they couldn’t sail because normally they can maneouvre, but the Devil’s Back is tricky and the swells would have been huge.”

An audio recording circulated on social media on Monday evening purportedly from a passenger on board the boat, Sheryl Laing, asked for people to pray for the passengers as it “crawled back” to Nassau.

“This is a clarion call for prayer; please pray for us on the Bo Hengy. The Bo Hengy has been damaged, taken on water. We just crawling, trying to get into the dock. I just pray that all of the people that are injured can get medical attention because they are shaking, their bodies are in shock from the cold,” she said.

An ambulance greeted the boat when it arrived at Potter’s Cay Dock Monday night.