First mate of Puerto Rico-based yacht shot on St. Thomas
Published: August 27, 2010
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ST. THOMAS — The first mate of the yacht Lady Brianna — a Viking 50 moored at American Yacht Harbor for the USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament — was shot on the boat’s deck in the pre-dawn hours Thursday morning, police say.
The man underwent minor surgery at Schneider Hospital and was released, hospital spokesman Sam Topp said.
The slip where Lady Brianna was moored was empty Thursday. Boaters moored at American Yacht Harbor say that the boat, which is based out of Puerto Rico, left St. Thomas about 6 a.m.
Details of the shooting remain sketchy.
St. Thomas-St. John Deputy Police Chief Dwayne DeGraff said that two masked men, standing on the dock, pulled a gun on three men on the deck of the boat at 3:50 a.m. The victims said the men were trying to rob them, according to police.
One of the masked men pushed a boater to the ground and shot him, DeGraff said, and one of the boaters dove into the water and swam to safety. DeGraff said he did not know how the third man escaped or whether any valuables were taken.
“I am trying to find that out myself,” he said.
The masked men fled the scene after shots were fired, according to police.
The boat’s captain, Edgardo Torres, called 911 to report the shooting, police say, and the man who was shot was the first mate.
DeGraff said he did not know whether the other two men were crew members or passengers on the boat, because he could not reach the midnight-shift officers who were called to the scene.
Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact the Criminal Investigation Bureau at 714-9801 or 715-5516 or Crime Stoppers USVI tip line at 1-800-222-8477
— Daily news reporter Sean McCoy contributed to this report.
— Contact reporter Constance Cooper at 774-8772 ext. 364 or e-mail ccooper@dailynews.vi.
