A veteran tug-boat skipper has told how he rescued a struggling mariner whose dive boat sank just off the Lobster Pot in George Town Sunday.
The dramatic moment when the man sprang from the sinking vessel was captured on video by startled onlookers watching from waterfront restaurants.
Captain Roy Kandler, a 51-year-old boat captain, was on hand to pull the unidentified man from the water and carry him to safety.
The skipper, who has navigated the waters off Hog Sty Bay since he was 19 years old, said he sprang into action as soon as he realised something was wrong.
Kandler told the Cayman Compass that around midday, he was aboard the Navigator tug-boat when he saw a man in distress signalling for help, so he “jumped into his little boat” and set sail.
“When I arrived there, the boat was already going down stern way. I asked him to jump off the boat and I circled round and picked him up because there was nothing we could do at that time,” said Kandler.
The video of the incident has since been viewed thousands of times, across multiple social media platforms and messaging applications.
It is still unclear why the vessel capsized, however Kandler says he was told that the passing cold front which brought rougher than normal waves led to the boat taking on water.
The Compass was told that originally the plan was to tow the vessel back to shore with the hopes of having it hoisted from the water with the assistance of the Port Authority, however this did not prove possible.
The Compass understands the sunken vessel is a dive boat which belongs to GoPro Diving and was not in use at the time. A spokesperson for the company declined to comment.
The vessel, which is almost entirely submerged, currently rests on its stern while anchored to a mooring a couple of hundred yards offshore.
In a response to Compass queries, Department of Environment Chief Conservation Officer, Mark Orr, said there was no immediate concern about contamination from the boat.
“One of our officers was on scene shortly after it sank and did not see any fuel leaking from the vessel at that time.”
He added, “It will be up to the owner to arrange salvage for the vessel.”
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