Source:  CSSN

DATE:  2023-06-13 00:05

LOCATION:  St. Lucia – Anse Canaries

EVENT:  Assault

HAND: 1

STOLEN ITEMS:  Cash, tablet, phone, VHF radios, all clothing and food, chartplotter and GPS, epoxy resin and hardener, earphones, backpack, dinghy/9.8HP Tohastu.

SECURED: Not Locked

DETAILS:

A singlehander anchored in Anse Canaries between 1700-1800HRS, there were no other yachts in the anchorage. He was awakened with a machete to his throat just after midnight.

Three (3) young men had arrived by kayak and boarded the unlocked yacht. The captain complied with their demands, was threatened with death and then tied up by one of the two masked men.

Over the course of two hours the men stole cash, electronics, all food and clothing and then departed in the yachts dinghy with the kayak in tow. The captain sustained minor injuries but was able to untie himself.

The thieves had left behind the trackable Garmin In-Reach which the captain used to contact and inform family members, who then contacted Interpol who then engaged the local St. Lucia marine police.

The yacht departed immediately but was met many miles offshore sometime later by the marine police. A verbal report was made and the yacht continued to its next port. A full report was made with local officials on arrival and St. Lucian officials later that day. St. Lucian officials reported that they had recovered the dinghy/outboard ashore.

An investigation was opened by St. Lucia police and efforts are underway to get the dinghy/outboard back to the owner.

CSSN will update this report if authorities make progress with an arrest or prosecution.

This report replaces the original secondhand report previously published as the victim has provided additional detail. 

NOTE: This is not the first recent instance of armed robbery in this bay, or nearby in the Soufriere/Pitons area. No arrests have been made in any of the earlier cases. Utilize the CSSN archives and Zoom-Tap maps for 2022 to easily review those five incidents.

CSSN NOTE:  If you are a victim, please take five minutes to complete the CSSN online incident report, it’s quick, confidential and keeps our cruising community fully and factually  informed.