The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

POLICE are asking the public’s assistance for information that could help them solve the murder of a British man on his sailboat at Stuart Cove’s diving centre in western New Providence on Friday night.

Though the victim’s identity has yet to be confirmed by police, The Tribune understands that he is Gary Vanhoeck, a dive instructor and employee at the diving centre who has been resident in the Bahamas for a number of years and lived aboard the boat with his wife at the dive centre’s base.

While active investigations continue into Friday’s incident, police, up to press time yesterday, had no leads that could identify the culprits for whom an island-wide manhunt was launched. Formal identification is expected today.

Reports are that around 10pm on Friday two men armed with handguns held up Mr Vanhoeck and demanded cash. The men shot him twice before fleeing the scene and leaving him to die.

Police, however, have launched a manhunt for four men in connection with this incident, the country’s 48th homicide this year.

A little more than a year ago, three armed intruders broke into the home of wealthy British citizen Edgar Dart in Emerald Bay of Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Dart, 56, was a wealthy farmer who lived in Canada and travelled to Freeport with his 13-year-old son, George, to spend the Easter holiday with his mother and other family members.

On April 8, 2014 the family was held hostage by the intruders who wore masks and were armed with a firearm and machete. Dart reportedly got into an argument with one of the men and was shot.

The family, left to watch Dart dying, was tied up with duct tape and robbed of jewellery and other personal items. The intruders then cut the phone lines before fleeing in the gardener’s truck, which was later recovered by police.

Although police have questioned people in connection with the incident, no arrests have been made to date.