Boat owner breaks down at inquiry into fatal Anse Cochon collision in St Lucia

The owner of a tour boat caught up in July's deadly collision off Saint Lucia has told a public inquiry that the tragedy has left him unable to sleep, as he rejected any suggestion that he has been unmoved by the loss of four lives. Irenus Pascal, who owns the Cazorla Jr, made an emotional statement at Wednesday's sitting of the Commission of Inquiry into the 18 July accident.

As reported by St. Lucia Times, Pascal used the hearing to correct what he saw as the impression left by his earlier testimony. He told commissioners that when he first appeared to answer questions, he came away unhappy with how he had been portrayed, and he wanted both the panel and the public to know the depth of his distress since the night the two vessels collided.

Four people died when the Cazorla Jr and another vessel, the Ocean Angel, came together in the water off Anse Cochon, a bay on the island's west coast that is a regular stop for boat excursions. Pascal said he knew the four people who lost their lives, and that he still meets their relatives, which makes the grief sharper each time. From the night of the accident to the present day, he said, sleep has not come easily to him.

Pascal explained that he had been served a summons late the night before Wednesday's session and, unable to rest afterwards, chose to write down his thoughts ahead of the hearing. He told the commission that everyone wished the accident had never happened, and that he continues to feel deeply troubled that proceedings are needed at all to establish what took place on what he described as a dreadful day.

His remarks came as the inquiry continues to hear evidence about the collision and the events that followed. Survivors who have already testified described the panic and confusion in the water after the impact, the injuries they suffered, and recollections that remain with them months later. Pascal's statement, by contrast, offered the perspective of a boat owner who says he too carries the weight of the tragedy.

The case matters to visitors as well as to locals, because boat trips are woven into the experience of the island's west coast. Anse Cochon itself is popular with excursion boats and can be reached by road as well as by sea, so anyone arranging a trip there is advised to check current access with their driver. Many people booking holidays to St Lucia build at least one day on the water into their itinerary, whether for snorkelling, coastal sightseeing or simply reaching a quiet bay, and the inquiry's findings on vessel safety will be watched closely by tour operators across the industry.

The hearings also coincide with questions visitors naturally ask about safety on the water and ashore, particularly families deciding whether the island suits them. Saint Lucia remains a welcoming destination, and the inquiry is a formal public process rather than a travel warning, but anyone arranging boat transport should use licensed operators and keep an eye on official updates. On land, the island's range of accommodation, from family-run guesthouses to larger hotels in St Lucia, sits alongside a tourism sector that depends heavily on confidence in its marine excursions.

Timing is another consideration for anyone following the story. The collision happened in July, in the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season, which is worth bearing in mind when weighing up the best time to visit St Lucia for sea-based activities; the drier months from December to April generally bring calmer conditions offshore. Visitors staying near the west coast will find plenty of things to do in St Lucia that do not involve boats at all, from the rainforest trails above Soufriere to the drive-in volcano and the plantation estates of the interior.

The Commission of Inquiry is expected to continue taking evidence as it works to establish the cause of the collision and to make recommendations. Until it reports, tour boats continue to operate under the scrutiny that the hearings have brought, and families of the four victims, along with survivors and operators such as Pascal, await the panel's conclusions on what went wrong on 18 July.