The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that 66-year-old Trinidadian ship captain Anthony Murray died in the hours following his rescue from the fishing vessel ST VINCENT VII, according to a media release issued Wednesday.
The Ministry said Murray, who was among a six-member crew rescued from the vessel, began exhibiting signs of shallow breathing in the hours after the rescue, though he had appeared stable at the time and showed no signs of pain or discomfort.
The Ministry was subsequently advised by the crew of the MV MARVEL KITE, the vessel that had taken the rescued crew aboard, that Murray appeared lifeless within a few hours of the initial observation. At the time, the vessel was en route to St. Lucia for a rendezvous with the crew of Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard vessel CG25.
Following Murray’s passing, a decision was made to divert the vessel to St. Vincent for the delivery of his body, a formal declaration of death, and medical examination and treatment of the remaining rescued crew members.
Once the surviving crewmen have been medically examined, they will be returned to Trinidad by the Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard, the Ministry said.
The Ministry apologised for the delay in disseminating the news of Murray’s death, explaining that the decision to withhold the announcement was made to ensure his immediate family members were notified first.
The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago reiterated its gratitude to the crew of the MV MARVEL KITE and all others who took part in the search and rescue operation for the crew of the ST VINCENT VII, while offering condolences to Captain Murray’s family “upon his untimely and unfortunate passing.”