A passenger taking a catamaran ferry to Costa Rica’s Isla Tortuga was wearing a GoPro and capture the horrifying moment that the boat began to capsize and sink, a catastrophic event that would eventually take the lives of three elderly passengers aboard the boat. There were 99 passengers and 10 crew members aboard the boat when it sank, and all passengers were given life jackets moments before the boat went under. In the footage below you can see the panic take over as the boat begins to go down and the wave of comprehension sets in:
The catamaran was taking tourists to the Tortuga Island, on the country’s Pacific Coast, when it was hit by strong winds and powerful waves.
Survivors said they were given lifejackets shortly before the boat sank.
“We were floating in the ocean. Many people were crying, screaming, asking for help,” an unidentified woman told local television.
“The captain started to turn the wheel to the left. There were pretty heavy seas and we started to take water on, apparently on the right side,” said Todd Olson, a tourist from the American state of Kansas.
“Within a minute it was flipped. Very fast, shocking,” he added.
Vice-President Ana Helena Chacon said 106 people had been rescued. She praised the work of the lifeguards, security ministry and the Red Cross.
Earlier reports said two tourists were missing, but Ms Chacon said all the passengers and crew, with the exception of the three casualties, had been accounted for.
I have to wonder as to whether or not this will hurt tourism in Costa Rica. It’s a nation that is literally built on tourism, most of which comes from the United States. And while an incident like this probably won’t stop anyone reading this article from visiting Costa Rica methinks that news like this will probably have a strong effect on Costa Rican tourism from the elderly. A handful of times I’ve been to that marina where the capsized boat left from and I’ve fished those waters where the boat sank, I can’t imagine the panic of being able to see land on either side of the boat but have it so far away, know you couldn’t swim.
If you’re wondering where boat was in Costa Rica it left from Playa Herradura, just next to Los Sueños Resort & Marina (just north of Jaco):
(h/t BBC)