Only one passenger out of 19 in a recently monitored water taxi was wearing a life jacket and this has prompted the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) to say it will continue to aggressively promote maritime safety.
In a release yesterday, the Department is reiterating the requirement of wearing life jackets in light of a recent article appearing in a section of the media regarding the sanctioning of a boat captain and its bowman.
The department said that an investigation was initiated through a report by a MARAD official who was a passenger on the vessel who was not known to the Captain and Bowman. The investigation showed that while the vessel had nineteen passengers on board, only one (the MARAD official) was wearing a lifejacket. The release said that no effort was made by the captain or bowman to ensure passengers’ compliance with the wearing of their life jackets.
The Department is appealing to all persons who use the water taxis to wear a life jacket at all times when on board.
