One dead, nine injured in Bahamas passenger boat mishap

One person was killed while nine others suffered varying degrees of injury after a passenger boat struck a reef in the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas on Friday, October 6.

Initial reports indicated that the unnamed vessel was ferrying passengers between Marsh Harbor and Montage Cay when it hit the reef shortly after 20:00 local time on Friday.

Nineteen of the boat’s occupants were thrown overboard due to the force of the impact. All were subsequently pulled out of the water by responding search and rescue (SAR) teams.

The captain and eight other survivors suffered injuries and have since been brought to hospital.

Tragically, one male passenger who was initially found unresponsive was pronounced deceased before he could be transported along with the nine injured individuals.

SAR teams are continuing to comb the surrounding waters for any signs of other people who may have also been on the boat when the incident occurred.