By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE Port Department yesterday moved to seize vessels owned by Four C’s Adventures after it was reported the Exuma tour company had resumed operations in contravention of a government order.
Four C’s was ordered to cease and desist operations until an investigation into a fatal boating accident that claimed the life of an American woman two weeks ago and maimed two others is completed.
Yesterday, Transport Minister Renward Wells confirmed the tour company had imported a boat from New Providence to conduct tours, and was operating without the approval of the Port Authority. He said the Bahamas Maritime Authority’s investigation into the accident was complete and a report was expected shortly.
When The Tribune called the company on Monday, and last week, a customer service representative confirmed the company has resumed its tours and is making bookings.
It is understood operations resumed on July 11.
“We understand they were operating without the approval of Port Authority,” Mr Wells said yesterday.
“They were trying to circumvent the cease and desist order. The Bahamas Maritime Authority (is) done with their investigation, and have gone back to London to write the report. We will be getting the report momentarily. The port controller has instructed port officers in Exuma to seize vessels conducting business.”
Mr Wells could not confirm how many vessels were seized up to press time, telling The Tribune: “Any vessel they put out to sea in that business we will take, there is a cease and desist order.”
The June 30 incident resulted in the death of an American woman, Maleka Jackson, and led two other people to suffer amputation of limbs. These included Mrs Jackson’s husband Tyran Jackson and another visitor, Stefanie Schaffer.
Lawyer Elliot Lockhart, QC, told The Tribune on Monday he knew nothing about a cease and desist order against the company, adding the government lacked “the power to shut him down”.
Mr Lockhart represents Clayton Patterson Smith, the owner of Four C’s.
Comments
Sickened 5 years, 9 months ago
What you saying now QC Lockhart? I thought that the government couldn't do anything to your client?
I quote - “Nobody has the authority to shut him down vis a vis his other boats which are all properly licenced and certified. You think the government wants to pay damages? Because I would sue in a hurry.”
Gotoutintime 5 years, 9 months ago
Lockhart is all hat and no cattle---He still lives in his past supposed glory---His time is over!
BahamaPundit 5 years, 9 months ago
Now all we need is a PLP press release saying it's racist to take this man's boats and everybody has the right to work. They will also say how the FNM caused the accident with their rich UBP backers.
sealice 5 years, 9 months ago
You of course are right am sure Sir Roland had something to do with this......
DDK 5 years, 9 months ago
No, it was Putin!
CaptainCoon 5 years, 9 months ago
The PLP will support any nonsense.
BahamaPundit 5 years, 9 months ago
If you analyze this matter, you have a perfect example why the Bahamas is failing. No shame. You take tourists out in your boat, and it blows up mangling and killing them. The tourists still in intensive care and the report is not even out, and you back on the job hustling as though nothing happened. Talk about thick skin!!! Shameless.
Gotoutintime 5 years, 9 months ago
The Bahamian way of life!!
DDK 5 years, 9 months ago
Truly sickening!
moncurcool 5 years, 9 months ago
The fact that they are operating has nothing to do with shameless or why the Bahamas is failing. Wen an airline crashes, is the company shut down until the investigation is finished? No! When a train derails, is the company shut down until the investigation is finished? No! The business has a right to operate until an investigation finds them guilty of breaking some law.
licks2 5 years, 9 months ago
You have them apples in front of them oranges them. . .their snafu has nothing to do with right to operate after the Exuma route accident. . .government ordered a "shut down" of that route until authorities can determine that that particular route is safe to resume operations!!
Their disobedience of an official distribute of licencing decision has nothing to do with right to operate. . .you can't operate without allowance s of the licencing authorities . . . which happens to be the government in this case!
Government confiscates his boat because he took it on that forbidden route!!
If a plane creased the owner cannot just pick up the plane, wash it off and back into the air and if the route itself is suspected in contributing to the crash the plane if not allowed to fly that route again until the route is proven safe for flight!
BahamaPundit 5 years, 9 months ago
Bahamians are too thick skinned. That is our problem. Murder somebody, so what. Steal from the job, who cares. Smuggle drugs, just making a living. You see this "thick skinned" lack of empathy in our politicians too. Nobody gives a darn about anything or anybody. Unfortunately, good customer service in the modern world requires a certain amount of empathy, tenderness and "soft skin." More importantly, in the modern world there are consequences! If you steal from a bank by way of fraudulent loans, you go to jail. Not here aka BOB.
ohdrap4 5 years, 9 months ago
yep, it does not look like this guy's lawyer has any empathy either
sealice 5 years, 9 months ago
This is the Legacy of the PLP!! and the 80's ...
OMG 5 years, 9 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
tell_it_like_it_is 5 years, 9 months ago
This problem is two-fold. The 4c Owner is reprehensible for resuming operations before the investigation was complete.
But why did it take "news reporting" to find out that they resumed operations. Was no one in the government in Exuma aware of this? Was the government not monitoring the situation as they claimed they would be?
Too much slackness all around if ya ask me!
Godson 5 years, 9 months ago
Tell_it_like_it_is, you have made the most sensible and insightful comment in this whole discussion. Regulatory enforcement is needed on the ground. I stated this to the Prime Minister when he was here in Long Island to present his governments' take on the reason to increase in VAT.
moncurcool 5 years, 9 months ago
Name me the developend nations where when an accident happens the rest of that company's operations are all shut down until the investigation is completed? The owner is only doing what he is to do, operate his business. He is not wrong for that. If that is the case, then whenever any busines in our country has an accident, then all theri operations need to be shuttered until an investigation is done.
We need to stop being reactionary.
Proguing 5 years, 9 months ago
This happens anywhere in the world if the operator does not have all the proper licenses and insurances or if the investigation has shown that there is a building or maintenance defect. Here is just one example:
http://aviationknowledge.wikidot.com/...">http://aviationknowledge.wikidot.com/...
Greentea 5 years, 9 months ago
you have a point - but look at Sickened comment below.
licks2 5 years, 9 months ago
That's why big companies keep accurate record of maintenance so that they can show history of up keep if such situation occurred! Any serious melt down will automatically result in system wide shut own unless they can show the melt down is not systemic!! Remember the airtran accident in Florid? Or the 9/11 air attack? Four planes crashed. . .plane crash all the time. . .but this time was unusual. . .ALL PLANES IN THE AIR OVER AMERICA WERE ORDERED DOWN TO THE GROUND UTIL IT CAN BE DETERMINED WHAT IS GOING ON!! The government gave orders that any planes that stayed in the air after the national order to get down must be shot down. Check YouTube for the story of how one plane was seconds from getting shot down!!
John 5 years, 9 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
Sickened 5 years, 9 months ago
These were homemade boats from what I understand. If one is faulty then all need to be looked at.
With airlines, depending on the type of accident, many of the same model aircraft are also grounded/inspected until an investigation has occurred.
licks2 5 years, 9 months ago
All licences in this nation belongs to the government. . .they can be recall if the government has a prima-facie case of public safety lapse. . .that is constitutional. It's like the NTSB can order any or all air crafts owned by Americans or coming to America to "to ground" and stay there until given release to "to air". . .as it did on 9/2011 twin tower attacks. . . or as they do. . .order all suspected air crafts "to ground" if there is credible evidence of risk to public safety!! QC don't mean much these day. . . Smith, Munroe, Gomez. . .now this one. . .
Islandboy242242 5 years, 9 months ago
Once this investigation is finished the Min of Transport can keep the ball rolling and look into the "hackers" that are running tourists around in their boats with no business license, charter license, insurance etc. Including the foreigners running charters in our waters.
That_cat_D 5 years, 9 months ago
This is the government once again with its head up its a. One boat had an issue that’s resulted in this catastrophe and let’s be reasonable this could have happened to any boat. Have a group of inspectors inspect the fleet and certify the rest as seaworthy or not. Simple. Y are you shutting down a whole business because of one accident? I didn’t see the shipping company involved in an accident at sea in the vicinity of cat island get a cease and desist order. Stop the bullst and dumb rhetoric.
licks2 5 years, 9 months ago
Can you read or you is just a PLP? They had only one boat in Exuma. . .they were ordered to shut that one down until they finished the investigation. . .boat, crew, operations protocols, fuel management protocols and any other staff or management procedures that may have contributed to the very serious accident! The same crew and operations procedures were still there. . .new boat old crew.
Honestman 5 years, 9 months ago
This "QC" is all mouth and little wisdom.
B_I_D___ 5 years, 9 months ago
As he so well demonstrated to the police officer down in Exuma Airport...
BahamaPundit 5 years, 9 months ago
Just do a quick Google search and you will see that companies are often shut down after an accident for non compliance with the law in the US. If 4 C's had no personal liability insurance, which is required by law, that would be ample reason to shut it down after the accident. See one example of a trucking company shut down after an accident here: https://www.ishn.com/articles/96898-a...">https://www.ishn.com/articles/96898-a...
BahamaPundit 5 years, 9 months ago
Seems like boats are exploding in the US too (see link below). I never knew how dangerous boats were. http://www.wboc.com/story/38644125/fo...">http://www.wboc.com/story/38644125/fo...
Porcupine 5 years, 9 months ago
I was taught that the fumes from one ounce of gasoline are equivalent to 3 sticks of dynamite. It's not the boats, it's the gasoline.
B_I_D___ 5 years, 9 months ago
It's not the gasoline...it's the fumes/vapours...hence why the initial ploy to say the engine blew up was bullcrap. That boat blew from fuel vapours trapped in the bilge of the boat, likely from a tank or fitting leak, even looking at the damage to the Hard top on that boat, it was blown out from below, the deck was blown vertically UP...the engines were fine. Likely a short from a bilge pump or something turning on, and POOF...powder keg...
ashley14 5 years, 9 months ago
It could be just a accident without any negligence, but no one knows. If these are homemade boats they all need inspection. The reason for the explosion needs to be determined, to prevent another deadly accident. With regard for human life. The people hiring these boats while on vacation deserve safety first. All lives matter!
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