On February 9, a 35-year-old New Zealand woman died in a boat accident in Seychelles, an island county in the Indian Ocean northeast of Madagascar, Africa.
According to The National, a Middle Eastern news source, Rebecca Davidson, head of programming and news at talk radio station Dubai Eye, was killed when her vessel crashed into another boat at around 9:30 p.m. Davidson was pronounced dead on arrival at Seychelles Hospital. Her colleague, Lucy Taylor, was injured, but is reportedly in stable condition.
The two women were on a routine press trip, said Steve Smith, chief operating officer at Arabian Radio Network (ARN), the company that owns Dubai Eye.
“Rebecca was a wonderful individual who was full of life, admired hugely by her colleagues and well loved by all who knew her. Rebecca was on a press trip to the Seychelles to gather stories for the station in her own unique and innovative style,” the ARN said in a statement.
The Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Transport announced that the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration, as well as the local police department, will be investigating the incident to determine the official cause and enable authorities to take appropriate action. Joel Morgan, the Minister for Home Affairs, Environment and Transport, said the safety of boat passengers is extremely important to he and his colleagues, and that accidents like this are rare.
It’s always disheartening to hear about tragedies out on the water, but unfortunately, as many boat owners know, there are numerous risks associated with owning and operating a watercraft – either commercially or recreationally. Between weather-related damages, collisions with other vessels and tragedies due to human error, it makes sense that many individuals and organizations turn to experienced marine insurance agencies to ensure that they are covered in the event of an accident.