The operator of a small dinghy was killed colliding with a 41-foot federal patrol boat at the end of St. Thomas Carnival, officials said Wednesday.
The dinghy’s sole occupant was transported to Roy Lester Schneider hospital where he was pronounced dead, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman said.
The Saturday night accident near Haulover Cut — the narrow channel between St. Thomas and Hassel Island — was being investigated by several divisions of the Department of Homeland Security, including the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs’ Office of Professional Responsibility, as well as the National Transportation Safety Board.
Customs officials said the Coastal Interceptor Vessel was conducting a border security patrol at the time of the crash. They gave no timeline for when new information about the incident — including the name of the victim and reason for the collision — would be available.
