Local News
Search Underway After Vessel Capsizes Off Jost Van Dyke, One Dead, One Missing
A distress call was made to 911 by a man aboard a vessel traveling from Jost Van Dyke, last Thursday, reporting that the boat had begun taking on water and was in distress.
In response, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) Marine Unit and Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) launched an urgent search operation in the area. During the search, officers discovered the partially submerged vessel and the body of a young woman. Despite extensive search efforts, the male caller was not found.
The vessel and the deceased were transported to the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Marine Base, where the woman was officially pronounced dead.
Authorities are continuing their search for the missing man. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the RVIPF Marine Unit at 368-9349 or 368-9462. All information will be kept strictly confidential as the search continues for the missing individual.
Local News
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Health
Health Minister Calls for BVI Health Services Authority Chairman’s Resignation
A significant shift occurred within the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) Board when Health and Social Development Minister Vincent O. Wheatley requested the resignation of Chairman Ron Potter.
The reasons for this request remain unclear, and it has not yet been confirmed whether Potter has complied. Potter, who was appointed Chairman in 2023, succeeded Moleto A. Smith, a U.S. Virgin Islands resident who was also reportedly compelled to step down.
The Cabinet’s decision to remove Smith and appoint Potter was formalised in a document from the Cabinet’s meeting on March 8, 2023. At that meeting, the Cabinet decided to appoint Potter, a former Chairman of the BVI Electricity Corporation, to lead the BVIHSA Board for a three-year term, pending approval by the House of Assembly.
Smith’s removal, which took place before the end of his contract set to expire in July 2024, was not fully explained. The Cabinet cited Schedule 1, Section 3(1) of the BVI Health Services Authority Act 2004 as the basis for Smith’s removal. This provision allows the Minister of Health to remove a board member if they have been absent from three consecutive meetings without consent, become disqualified, unable to fulfil their duties, or breached their appointment conditions.
Further details about the potential changes at the BVIHSA remain undisclosed, and no official statement has been issued regarding the matter.
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