Tourist Boat Capsizes in Nicaragua, 13 Costa Ricans Dead

Map: nicatour.net
Map: nicatour.net

HAVANA TIMES (dpa) — At least 13 persons, all Costa Ricans, died Saturday when the boat they were traveling in capsized in the southern Caribbean waters of Nicaragua, confirmed both the Costa Rican foreign ministry and the Nicaraguan government.

The head of the Nicaraguan Naval Force in the area, Mario Berrios, confirmed that the captain of the boat had left Corn Island for Little Corn Island, two tourist islands in the southern Caribbean, without permission of the naval authorities.

Berrios said the authorities suspended navigating permits two days before due to poor weather conditions in the area.

“We have arrested the captain of the boat, and after the end of the operational search and rescue effort we will deliver him to the appropriate authorities for due process,” said the naval officer.

In Managua the first lady and government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo reported that the bodies of nine of the 13 dead were pulled from the water.

Murillo government sent condolences to the Costa Rican government over the “unfortunate tragedy”.

According to the government, the names of the deceased are: Joseth Chanto Vargas; Xenia Paloma Cordero; Desire Segura Vega; Zita Mairena Amador; Leda Avalos; Sandra Chacón; María Galicia; Carlos Vega Soto; Oliveth Rodríguez. All Costa Rican.

Other deceased but still not found: Olga Martha Portillo Vargas, Beatriz Rodríguez Rojas, Bertha Murillo Bolaños, Leyner Contreras Murillo.

Rescued alive: Charlotte Rainsford, de origen británico; Edward Beckett, también británico; los costarricenses: Juan Manuel Cordero Calderón; Rolando Herrera Quezada; Bernardo Barahona Montero; Marisela Parra Valencia; Alexandra Mora Bertoche; Krisella Garbanzo Moreli; María Elena Bulalta Puchi; Albert Contreras Leiva; Blanca Contreras Murillo; Florencio Castro Jimenez; Adriana Segura Vega; Gerardo Murillo Chávez; y Esteban Hernández; la brasileña Dulce Blank; los estadounidenses: David Casuto y Melisa Tioloco-Cheng; y los nicaragüenses Shura Bonlye Welcome, el capitán de la embarcación Hilario Blandón y su ayudante Carlos Prack.