Canadian Sailor Murdered in Honduras

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by boatman61

To me this reads like a tragic accident/mis-understanding whatever...
... I'm of the feeling that they were as shocked by what had happened and un-nerved enough it gave the girl time to react and they were only to happy to get out of there...
But then I could be totally wrong... and nothing makes what happened OK

Indeed.

As I understand her statement, and her assessment:
The gunman appeared to feel threatened by Milan’s innocent actions, and shot him.
Perhaps they’d heard of cruisers arming themselves in order to aggressively defend themselves, and he was merely taking preemptive defensive action. Perhaps they fled, only coincidentally with her producing the flare gun. They definitely didn’t shoot her.
Then again, perhaps not. Perhaps they didn’t recognize that her weapon wasn’t much threat, and their motives weren’t innocent.
We’ll likely never know for certain.
I don’t think we can take much definitive instruction from this case.
It remains a terrible tragedy - mistake or not.

[kenny chaos]

Yeah it was a mistake that he shot the man four freakin' times.
They probably just ran out of bullets.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by kenny chaos

Yeah it was a mistake that he shot the man four freakin' times.
They probably just ran out of bullets.

That suggests another, not unreasonable, SPECULATIVE interpretation.

[kenny chaos]

Originally Posted by GordMay

That suggests another, not unreasonable, SPECULATIVE interpretation.

Thanks, I think I'm getting the hang of this tradgedy dwelling.

[Dave the Canuck]

Does anyone rememeber a similar situation a couple of years ago, in Venezuela, I believe? A skiff approached an anchored sailboat asking for help (water, tools?). When one of the men on board leaned over to help he was shot. Fortunately, another occupant of the sailboat retrieved a shotgun and was able to repel the boarders.

[billgow]

Originally Posted by GordMay

That suggests another, not unreasonable, SPECULATIVE interpretation.

Unless you were there, it's all speculation.

I'm going to speculate the young lady scared the thugs off with what they assumed to be something much more threatening than a flare launching device (I didn't use the g-word).

[Therapy]

HEH!

That's two.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Dave the Canuck

Does anyone rememeber a similar situation a couple of years ago, in Venezuela, I believe? A skiff approached an anchored sailboat asking for help (water, tools?). When one of the men on board leaned over to help he was shot. Fortunately, another occupant of the sailboat retrieved a shotgun and was able to repel the boarders.

From 2008:

Kenneth Dale Peters, 55, was shot and killed by armed men who boarded his sailboat to rob him and his passengers, authorities said.

Peters apparently tried to defend himself with a gun and wounded one of the attackers, who got away, regional police chief Gustavo Palacios said.

Also wounded was Stephen Davis, 63, a friend of Peters. Police said he was recovering at a hospital.

Peters' sailboat, "Chill," was anchored off a small island in Mochima, a national park along Venezuela's northeastern coast.

At approximately 1730 on Sunday a piñero with 3 men aboard approached the two anchored yachts asking for water. When one of the crew came back up from below with water, they shot Ken with pistols, and attempted to kill Steve. Details are not precise, but Steve apparently then shot at the pirates with a shotgun killing one and injuring another. Ken was killed in the exchange and Steve was shot in the thigh.

➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ela-20925.html

[kenny chaos]

And everthing evolves from speculation on the part of those who were there.

[billgow]

Originally Posted by kenny chaos

And everthing evolves from speculation on the part of those who were there.

More like those who weren't there.

Everything we watch, hear or read is tainted by someone else's perspective – or worse – their agenda.

[kenny chaos]

Originally Posted by billgow

More like those who weren't there.

Everything we watch, hear or read is tainted by someone else's perspective – or worse – their agenda.

So you wouldn't be speculating if you were in a like situation, only on a gossip site?

[JimJohnston]

Here's an interview with the daughter Myla, who survived the attack and was rescued by a passing british ship. CBC.ca Player
there is a "part 2" to the interview

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by kenny chaos

So you wouldn't be speculating if you were in a like situation, only on a gossip site?

Damn... n we thought you joined CF to be a 'Cruiser'...
but in fact you just wanna join da gossip...

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by JimJohnston

Here's an interview with the daughter Myla, who survived the attack and was rescued by a passing british ship. CBC.ca Player
there is a "part 2" to the interview

Thank you for posting that, Jim . . . it's really compelling. My heart goes out to this young woman, and I fear she is irreparably damaged by this tragedy in ways that may not manifest for a long time. Very, very sad.

TaoJones

[category4jay]

I was in Utila last week when this tragedy happened and heard about it thru Capt. Vern onboard his catamaran crossing to Roatan. My personal observation only -Mainland Honduras is extremely poor and thus very dangerous. Extreme caution OR PROTECTION (daresay I use the g-word) should be the rule when sailing even far off this coast. To camp on the coast unprotected (speculation) would be unthinkable.
May God bless this little girl and her family.