Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024, around 3:00 p.m. a small boat named "Three Guys / 3 G", with 17 passengers and 2 captains on board, left the port of "Ça Ira" in Léogâne bound for Carriès, sank off the coast of Lillet near La Gonâve, for a reason that is currently undisclosed.

Julien Léostène and Pierre Mikelson are the two illegal captains who provide maritime transport without having a maritime professional booklet and the departure authorization from the Territorial Representative of the Maritime and Navigation Service of Haiti (SEMANAH).

The Coast Guards and SEMANAH with divers and volunteers carried out search operations for the shipwrecked. Thanks to the support of the captains : Gregory Guerrie, Dinois jn. Mary, Pierre Matkens, Wismy Guerier, Pierre Josiace Neus, Lorane Feknol and Solages Desir, 12 of the 17 passengers of the boat were saved, after the 4 passengers including a crew member who arrived by swimming Tuesday evening in La Gonâve.

Wednesday evening, September 4th, 2024, the 12 rescued passengers were received by Inspector Sony Augustave of Semanah in La Gonâve to collect their testimonies.

The partial toll of the shipwreck is 16 survivors and 1 missing...

Following a complaint filed against the illegal captains Julien Léostène and Pierre Mikelson, the Haitian National Police (PNH) arrested them and brought them before the courts for legal proceedings.

SEMANAH calls for respect for navigation rules and warns offenders that they will still be liable to legal sanctions up to and including being banned from piloting ships.

HL/ HaitiLibre