The Tribune

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ONE month after Christopher Turnquest was tragically killed in a boating accident, the family of the 25-year-old is demanding that “someone be held responsible” for his death.

The body of Mr Turnquest was retrieved from waters near Paradise Island on Sunday, October 2, two days after a 13-foot skiff occupied by him and another man was struck by a Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) patrol vessel just east of Potter’s Cay Dock around 8pm.

Police believe Mr Turnquest drowned as a result of the collision. The other man, identified as Mr Turnquest’s cousin, jumped from the boat moments before the collision and survived the crash.

In an interview with The Tribune, Ryan Turnquest, the deceased’s older brother, yesterday questioned why no one has been arrested for his brother’s death. He alleged the injuries his brother suffered and the damage to the vessel proves that the collision happened as a result of speeding in the harbour - which is a no wake zone.

Ryan Turnquest said the family has not heard from the police since October 3, when they spoke to the officer-in-charge of the Central Detective Unit. He said the family fears the incident will be “swept under the rug” and his brother will never get justice.

“Someone needs to be held accountable. My brother and my cousin had just changed the spark plugs and they were testing the boat because we were preparing to take the boat out of the water before the storm hit,” Ryan Turnquest said.

“They were right out in the harbour, not in the open water, right in the harbour and no one should be speeding in that area. It is a no wake zone; meaning when a boat comes through it should not produce any waves to rock the other boats in the harbour. So if you were going at the required speed they would have just bumped the boat if they didn’t see it, but the boat was split in half,” he claimed.

“My cousin said they literally had one second to get out the boat and he jumped out in time but my brother did not have the time. If they were not speeding my brother’s skull would not have been crushed and the boat would not have been destroyed,” he claimed.

He said all his family wants is for someone to be held accountable. However, he said, no one from the RBDF has reached out to them and no one from the Royal Bahamas Police Force will update them on the status of the investigation.

“They are saying they investigating but we don’t feel anything is being done,” Ryan Turnquest said.

“We want answers. We are lost. We need closure. The family is not taking this well. Someone needs to be held responsible. We need justice for Chris. We will not stop until we get justice.”

Officer-in-Charge of the Central Detective Unit, Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander said police are still continuing their inquires. He said his office is committed to giving the family closure.

“We are still canvassing and trying to see if there are any witnesses who can speak to us,” Supt Fernander said.

“At the end of the day if we don’t come up with any witnesses to suggest anything, the matter will be referred to Coroner’s Court but we are still on the ground doing a lot of things.

“We are probing to see if any independent persons can assist us with our investigating.

“At the end of the day we do not want the family to think that the police are taking sides, we are not. We will give them closure.”