“We were eight minutes from the pier from which we had left at 10:00 in the morning, after an unforgettable walk, when suddenly a boat at very high speed attacked us, our boat split in two and continued as if nothing had happened. The only one left on the piece of boat was me; The rest, they all fell into the water, including my grandmother and my mother, who died from the impact”.
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The story is from Kevin Youry González Aponte, son of Zonia Yaneth Aponte Rincón and grandson of Mrs. Gabrielina Rincónthe two women deceased in it accident recorded on Wednesday around 4:00 in the afternoon in the San Andrés navigable channel, when a large speed boat in which two people were traveling the pontoon brutally collided or small boat in which the captain and his assistant were transported with 12 tourists, among whom were the five members of the Boyacá family.
They are the two women killed in a boat accident in San Andrés. Photo:Supplied on TIME
“We came happy, we didn’t change ourselves for anyone, but from one moment to the next everything was chaos and panic. I barely feel the impact, I am the only one who does not fall from the boat, I turn to look and begin to locate my relatives. I see my grandmother floating and bleeding in his head; I didn’t know what to do. I saw my wife clinging to a rope and my brother Juan Sebastián, 17 years old, trying not to sink, but I didn’t see my motherso, in the middle of the I was desperate, I called her and looked for herwhen from a boat they told me that they had already taken her to port, which gave me some peace of mind, without knowing what awaited me,” the 27-year-old boyacense from Boyacá told EL TIEMPO.
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After a lot of planning and savingafter year and a half preparing the tripthey had left on Monday at 6:00 in the afternoon from the El Dorado airport and at 8:00 they were already at the Casona La Carolina, the place they had located through an application to stay. The next day they went out to tour part of the island and lasted until around midnight talking and enjoying the weather. They went to sleep expecting what would be the tour that would take them to see the aquarium, Rocky Cay and the mangroves that they had hired to take advantage of that first day in San Andrés. They had been told that they would leave at 10:00 in the morning and return at 4:00 in the afternoon to the same dock.
They are the two women killed in a boat accident in San Andrés. Photo:Supplied on TIME
Kevin assures that the times were indeed met and that expectations were exceeded; that there really were enjoyed the day and that they were just about to arrive at the island’s port when death came aboard a imposing boat that attacked themvery close to one of the stations of the General Maritime Directorate (Dimar).
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“As they had told me that mother had already been taken on a boatI thought that we had to go directly to the hospital to look for her and take my grandmother, but one of the people who came to help us said that the lady who was floating and with a bloody face was dead”commented the relative.
Exclusive photos of the family of the two women killed in a boat accident in San Andrés. Photo:Supplied on TIME
Kevin’s narration continues by describing a scene like something out of a horror movie: “They took us on another boat to the island to attend to all of us and, as we approached the Dimar dock, an image took more shape. It was someone lying down, with many people around him. It was my mother, lying on the floor and with a towel covering his face. There I knew that she too had died from the impact”.
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In addition to the women, 74 and 53 years old, deceasedonly one of the passengers was seriously injured. The others got out safely, but alive by miracleaccording to the young man, since the tragedy could have been greater if one takes into account that, despite the fact that the pontoon had life jackets, the captain would have told them that there was no need to use them. Therefore, after the impact, everyone was exposed in the water and, fortunately, they were rescued almost immediately by tourist boats that sailed through the sector and by the authorities themselves.
Exclusive photos of the family of the two women killed in a boat accident in San Andrés. Photo:Supplied on TIME
Kevin assures that around noon this Friday they They delivered the autopsyaccording to which his grandmother and her motherwho occupied the front positions on the right side of the boat, They lost their lives due to the strong impact received.
The boyacense family facing tragedy
The injured family on the high seas in San Andrés it has been almost 18 years running a couple of restaurants in the vicinity of the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC), in Sogamosowhich they have been given to live, study and save the money with which they traveled to San Andrés.
The lady Gabrielina Rincon was born ago 74 years old in the municipality of Floresta, Boyacáand was the mother of a man and four women, including Zonia Yaneth Aponte Rincónwho was born ago 53 years in the municipality of Gámezain that same department.
Gabrielina Rincón and Yaneth Aponte Rincón, mother and daughter who died in San Andrés this Thursday. Photo:Supplied to EL TIEMPO
They traveled with them Kevin Youry González Aponte and Juan Sebastian Rodriguez Apontethe two children of Zonia Yanethborn in Sogamoso, as well as Kevin’s wife.
The drama for the transfer of the bodies
“We are looking for raise funds to transport the bodies and his funeral honors. They have already communicated Government with me and they assured us that They would help to move the bodies“said Kevin, who is with the other members of the family on the island, waiting for the delivery of his relatives.
Exclusive photos of the family of the two women killed in a boat accident in San Andrés. Photo:Supplied on TIME
According to him, it was a year and a half raising money for the trip and now they are gathering resources for the funeralwhich would take place on Monday in Sogamoso.
“We hope to be able arrive with the coffins this Saturday or Sunday for what the funeral will be. However, the process has had to be delayed because in the accident we lost all our belongings including our documents“, stressed the young man, who is dedicated to commerce in Sogamoso.
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He mayor of Sogamoso, Mauricio Barón, regretted what happenedsent his condolences and assured that they are trying to articulate efforts. He pointed out that the Government has offered air transportationbut that, if required, from the The Mayor’s Office will also support itself with ground transportation from the Bogotá or Paipa airports.
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