By RICARDO WELLS
Tribune Staff Reporter
rwells@tribunemedia.net
THE inquest into the death of 25-year-old Christopher Turnquest continued Monday with a local forecaster testifying that weather at the time of the crash did limit visibility, but didn't "outright" prohibit small craft operators from waters around New Providence.
Orson Nixon, a 27-year veteran of the Department of Meteorology, yesterday testified the combination of a weak trough along the eastern coast of Mexico and Hurricane Matthew looming, created conditions across The Bahamas that would have limited the coverage of the natural moonlight -- which he deduced, could have further limited the visibly of vessels operating in Bahamian waters.
However, Mr Nixon testified that weather conditions in New Providence specifically, did not feature elements that required forecasters to issue an all-out advisory for mariners.
Last Friday, the court heard that weather conditions associated with Hurricane Matthew had prompted the Department of Meteorology to release a small craft advisory, a point Mr Nixon moved to clarify.
Mr Nixon testified that an advisory was only in effect for the central and southeastern segments of the Bahamas, and not the northwestern, of which New Providence is a part.
Mr Nixon indicated that small craft operators in the northwestern Bahamas were only cautioned in the forecast issued by his department on the day of the crash.
He said this caution offered only a recommendation to boaters and could not be viewed as a mandate.
When asked directly by attorney Ramona Farquharson-Seymour, lawyer for the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, if he would have advised the fixing of boat engines at night in the stated conditions; Mr Nixon told the court that such an advisory would be out of his "parametres" as a forecaster.
According to court dockets, the deceased along with his cousin, had just before the fatal crash, carried out mechanical work on their skiff in the area of Potter's Cay.
Turnquest died in October 2016 after a 13-foot skiff occupied by him and another man was struck by a RBDF patrol vessel just east of Potter's Cay Dock.
The inquest resumes today.
The Turnquest family is represented by Murrio Ducille.
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