Doctors discredit man’s claims of self-injury while police investigate cause of fire that destroys his boat

Investigations continue into a weekend incident in which
a boat owner was wounded and his vessel burned.
The Police are trying to determine why the man is claiming that
injuries to his chest and neck were self-inflicted and how his boat
caught on fire.
 
According to reports, a 911 operator telephoned the Dockyard
Police Station on Saturday, November 25, and alerted officers to a
boat fire at Nelson’s Dockyard Harbour, in the vicinity of the Coast
Guard Base.

Further, the operator reported that there was a man in the water
who appeared to be seriously injured and was refusing the
assistance of the Coast Guard.
 
The discovery was made at about 7:30 a.m.
 

Reports say that, using a dinghy, a senior Coast Guard officer and an
employee from the Sun Sail Club extracted the 37-year-old man
from the water.
 
They observer that the man’s injuries appeared to be serious and so
he was immediately transported to the Sir Lester Bird Medical
Centre by the Emergency Medical Service.
 
While the man reportedly told the Police that he had inflicted the
wounds, reports say that doctors contradicted his story and
deemed the injuries life-threatening.
 
Accordingly, the boat owner underwent emergency surgery, which
reportedly was successful, and was admitted to the Intensive Care
Unit.
 
Meanwhile, a fire tender had to be dispatched to the scene to
extinguish the blaze on the boat, which was completely destroyed.
 
Commissioner of the National Parks Authority Ann Marie Martin is
thanking the relevant agencies, including the Antigua and Barbuda
Search and Rescue, the Fire Department, and the Antigua and
Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard for their prompt response and
assistance in this matter.
 
In a statement issued by the Authority, she expresses concern for
the boat captain and wishes him a speedy recovery.
 
She emphasizes the importance of safety and security within English
Harbour, noting that the National Parks Authority is committed to
learning from this incident to further enhance safety, security, and
protection.

The fire was contained to the single boat and Martin says there was
no imminent threat to other vessels anchored at Ordnance Bay.