While Friday’s accident between a Caneel Bay Resort ferry and a dinghy off St. John is still under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard spokesman Ricardo Castrodad said Monday the dinghy had no lights. The accident happened at 6 a.m. when it was still dark.
Russ Kerr, who was on board the 12-foot inflatable dinghy, was injured when the ferry ran over the dinghy in Cruz Bay Harbor. He is now at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Trauma and Intensive Care Unit. The hospital does not provide information on its patients, so the extent of his injuries is not known at this time.
Castrodad said Kerr had a life jacket in his boat. Kerr’s dinghy was towed to shore with him in it by another small vessel, Castrodad added.
He also identified the ferry as the Lady Caneel II. Hotel manager Nikolay Hotze previously and incorrectly identified it as the Mary II.
Castrodad said the two pontoons of the dinghy were pierced and deflated. There was also damage to the bow.
“And there was some damage to the outboard motor cover,” Castrodad said.
V.I. National Park Superintendent Mark Hardgrove said Monday that Kerr lived on a boat. He is the owner of St. John Concierge Services, a one-person company that books boat and other excursions for visitors.