Boating tragedy marked the Island of La Digue in Seychelles during its annual celebrations as ‘a minute of silence’ is observed

Boating tragedy marked the Island of La Digue in Seychelles during its annual celebrations as ‘a minute of silence’ is observed

aTP-  Arab tourism portal News – The boat accident that occurred last Saturday early evening after six on board left the island of La Digue to get back to nearby Praslin. The boat capsized mid way to Praslin and the boat’s skipper swam back towards La Digue to get help.

 With the help a a Dream Yatch vessel in the area he made it back to La Digue and following appeals an armada of boats from La Digue and Praslin was launched. From William Rose and his Team to Joe Albert’s Cat Cocos to the Wahe-Hive among so many others all search the ocean to nearly midnight with no success.

The search party resumed early on Sunday with the like of Louis D’Offay and Wahe-Hive in their private boats joined the Seychelles Coast Guards and two of the passengers were found alive and transfered to Praslin Hospital. The remaining three passengers two ladies and a gentleman sadly did not survive the ordeal. 

Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture who was on board the Cat Cocos boat all night with the search party said it was a tragic incident. On the same boat were Anne Lafortune, the PS for Tourism, Benjamine Rose, the PS for Culture, Chantal Guislain, the MNA for La Digue and the Inner Islands among many others.

Just before midnight on Saturday night as Cat Cocos docked at the La Digue Jetty after some three and a half hours at sea helping with the search party Minister St.Ange spoke to the large crowd at the jetty to help keep hope alive.

On Sunday morning Minister St.Ange accompanied family members of the suffering family including two children of one of the deceased to Praslin after the two passengers were found alive in the sea.  The Minister had this to say:- " Seychellois stood together in this sad incident and everyone prayed for a miracle.

  The youngest passenger from the capsized boat was only 5 and he was found alive, and today we know that three among the 6 on board made it out alive. The people of La Digue and Praslin stood as a united group and worked together to help as much as possible the family in distress" St.Ange said

At 8.30pm on Sunday evening as La Digue’s traditional MOUTYA Show was about to get underway in front of thousands Minister Alain St.Ange accompanied by Jimmy Savy, the CEO of the National Arts Council and members of the La Digue Feast Organising Committee stood with the Fernande Ladouce Madilo Group to call for ‘a minute of silence’.

 Just before the crowd held hands to observe the minute of silence Minister St.Ange said to everyone to remember the three Seychellois who had lost their lives in this sad boating accident and to also remember their surviving families in prayers.

"It was such an emotional moment" said Jimmy Savy of the National Arts Council before the MOUTYA Group started their performance for the night.