A pair of armed and dangerous assailants brutally attacked an American couple last night aboard their sailboat anchored in the “South Anchorage” of the Bocas Marina, next to Isla Colon in the province of Bocas del Toro in the Republic of Panama. The attack started after midnight last Sunday. The assailants pulled up next to the couple’s sailboat at 1:00 am early in a typical Panamanian wooden cayuco, boarded the sailboat, held the couple at gunpoint and tied them up. They ransacked the boat and stole everything of value, including cameras, electronics, a computer, cash and jewelry. The attack lasted at least two hours, during which time the victims were assaulted and brutalized. The victims were finally able to put out a call for help on the radio at 3:30 am after the assailants had left.
Dinghy Recovered: The assailants took the sailboat’s dinghy when they left. After dawn, someone spotted a dinghy floating free off of the coast of Isla Carenero. Someone swam out and recovered the dinghy. It’s possible the assailants took the dinghy in an attempt to keep the victims from being able to leave their boat, and they simply abandoned it near Isla Carenero as they made their escape in their own cayuco.
Police Report Filed: The victims have filed a complaint with the National Police in Bocas del Toro. The woman was taken to the hospital.
A Possible Earlier, Related Attempt? There is a report that some would be assailants – possibly these same two men – tried to board another sailboat at 10:30 pm on Saturday, July 7th. Reportedly, these would-be victims were able to “repel” that boarding attempt, and nothing else happened.
Courtesy of Don Winner and Panama-Guide.com.
It would be instructive to learn how the cruisers in the first encounter dealt with the intruders as compared to how the cruisers in this unfortunate encounter handled it. Were the first cruisers more effective? If so, in what way? Was the anchorage different? Or did the intruders learn from the first experience and approach the second cruisers differently? Knowing this would help the sailing community better prepare . . . a small benefit from this horrific event.
Is anyone interested in a grass roots organization to combat piracy of private yachts?
As a former Green Beret stationed in Panama (3rd of the 7th Sfgp), Colon is notirious for everything bad. I’m surprised that there are as few attacks as have been reported there.
In general, more needs to be done to allow boaters to protect themselves.
More specifically, we should all keep abreast of high crime areas and take precautionary measures in them, such as buddy mooring, etc.
I would like to hear more about this Grass Roots organization To combat Piracy of Private Yachts. I am interested.
Our sailboat moors near San Carlos, Mexico and it has me quite worried that one night the same thing that happened to that unfortunate couple could very easily happen to us.
Well I would of tryed to repel them if it was my boat but thats just me and panama gun laws suck not cross bows peper spay motion lights etc helps povent this kind of thing not the law of a inter going boat you cen do anything to keep them off your boat thank god evry one is safe
Yes I am very interested in a grass roots organization to combat piracy of private yachts. Will start live aboard on my catamaran in June 2014, want to have something better in place then is there now. Looking forward to help make this happen.
Casper
I’m interested and I’d join the “org”. My boats in Cartagena and I worry about these incidents, though they are few and far between. I still like the idea of thumb tacks on the deck each evening.
Best recommendations I’d have are:
1. Don’t stay too long in one place…two nights max.
2. Leave spreader lights on in very dicey areas.
3. Keep an air horn next to the bunk and don’t hesitate to use it.
4. Anchor with the crowds, even tho it’s nicer alone.