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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | June 2008 
Mexico Cites Human Error in Boat Mishap
 Associated Press
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| | Men are seen onboard the Sea Star tourist boat at a beach in Cancun, Mexico, Monday, June 9, 2008. Police said they are investigating whether the Sea Star was overloaded when it sank Saturday, June 7, between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, leaving Lissa Thang Chung, 18, of Dallas, brain dead. (AP/Israel Leal) | | |
Cancun, Mexico - Mexican officials said Thursday that human error caused the weekend boat accident near Cancun that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old Texas woman.
Government navigation official Miguel Angel Rebolledo said investigations indicate that the boat's captain steered to close to a coral reef, damaging the vessel's hull and causing it to partially sink on Saturday.
Rebolledo said Capt. Agustin Cituk lacked sufficient experience with the catamaran-type vessel involved in the mishap.
"The captain of the boat went into an area where he shouldn't have. It was his first trip with this kind of vessel," Rebolledo told a news conference. "He had operated boats before, but of a different size."
The officials said the boat, which was on a snorkeling trip, wasn't carrying too many passengers, despite initial reports that it was overloaded.
The boat, the "Sea Star," was carrying 211 and was rated for at least 240, they said.
The confusion may have originated because the captain allegedly misled authorities about the number of people he was carrying in order to avoid paying a per-head tax charged to swim along the reefs.
"The boat's captain lied, with the aim of avoiding paying for more bracelets for snorkeling in the reef zone," said Port Capt. Vicente Martinez Morales. Visitors are given bracelets to prove they have paid the tax.
Passenger Lisa Chung, 18, died on Tuesday after nearly drowning in an attempt to escape the boat. Passengers fled the boat as it began listing and sinking, and the officials said Chung may have dove off the wrong side of the boat and possibly hit her head on the reef. |
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