DATE: 2015-12-20 12:00 Country Name: Grenada-Trinidad passage Location Detail: Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform EVENT: Piracy

 

Security Matters - Caribbean Safety and Security Net

Updated 28 December 2015 10:00

CSSN First Hand Report
CSSN First Hand Report

DATE: 2015-12-20 12:00
Country Name: Grenada-Trinidad passage
Location Detail: Trinidad Hibiscus Gas Platform
EVENT: Piracy
Stolen Items: Money, passports, cell phones, computers, food clothing and ship’s  documents, cash, credit cards, wallets,  clothes, luggage, watches, books, sailing gear, keys, food, miscellaneous electronics, toiletries, and other items.
SECURED: N/A
DETAILS: On December 20 at approximately noon, a 24 meter (80 ft) sailing yacht was sailing from Chaguaramas Trinidad N. to Port Louis Grenada, at about the halfway point In the vicinity of the Hibiscus Gas platform or 30 miles N of Trinidad was boarded and robbed.

The  crew were busy working on the backstay and didn’t notice the boat until it was right on their stern.
VEN Pen
Typical open style fishing boat sometimes used by bandits

It was an 18 ft narrow open boat, white hull with blue inside fishing type boat with 5 young men aboard. The fishing boat had  4 blue barrels that the crew guessed was extra fuel. They had a 120 hp Yamaha outboard engine, and an additional engine laying on the boat’s floor.

We were approached from the south astern by the men  speaking Spanish apparently asking for something. Once close to the yacht, one individual pulled out a military type assault rifle and made it clear they were coming aboard. The crew was held at gunpoint the

BG Group Data book 2014 - Where we work - Trinidad & Tobago
Hibiscus Gas Platform location is in upper left of graphic with red circle.

entire time. 1 guy stayed in the boat, 2 went through the boat. 1 with the gun stayed with the captain and 2 yacht crew in the cockpit. The pirates below deck proceeded to put the valuables in bags and luggage found inside the boat, and transport said bags into their dinghy. No shots fired.  They were aboard for approximately 15 minutes and took money and electronics. None of the 3 crew were injured. all three pirates on board, jumped back into their dinghy, and started motoring south, from the same direction in which they came. The yacht carried on to Grenada and reported the incident to the US Coast Guards, who reported to Trinidad and Grenada Coast Guards. At some point within the hour of reporting the incident to the USCG, the Trinidad and Tobago coast guard called the satellite phone to review the report that was forwarded to them via the USCG.

CSSN NOTE: CSSN original report was from sources directly in contact with  captain and crew and was necessarily classified as second hand. The Captain of the yacht has now confirmed all the facts of this report directly to CSSN. The captain provided additional detail which has been edited into this report. This report is is updated to a first hand, confirmed report with quotes and  information also taken from the Captain’s official written report to authorities.

CSSN will update this post as new information is available.

Visit our Piracy Passage Precautions web page.

For Previous incidents in the Trinidad/Granada Passage see: https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/the-southern-windward-islands-st-vincent-the-grenadines-grenada-including-carriacou-petite-martinique-trinidad-tobago/

Type – Grenada-Trinidad passage – in search box.