Tourism Minister Stephen Cadiz will meet with the management group at his Ministry on Monday to discuss a report on the incident which resulted in the death of a 14-year-old girl at Las Cuevas beach on Sunday. Cadiz received the report on Wednesday and said it did not offer any new information on the incident. “Looking at it, nothing has changed, it confirms what has been reported on the incident,” Cadiz said in an interview yesterday.
Last week Saturday, Lily Blaides, a student of El Dorado West Secondary School, died from head injuries after a pirogue, driven by a Las Cuevas fisherman, ploughed into her.
“What is of concern now is preventing another such incident from happening. We have had discussions with the Maritime Services Division about putting in marker buoys in the area and we are pulling all the parties concerned with water activities to come up with a policy that can be put forward as legislation to bring control to water craft such as boats and jet skis. Cadiz, who visited the scene of the incident on Sunday, said he spoke to lifeguards, police and fishermen.
“We know basically what has happened. Right now, the police are doing their job but we have to take the necessary steps to ensure that something like that never happens again,” Cadiz said. In an earlier interview at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus on Wednesday, Cadiz said his ministry would also work with the fishermen so they understood how important it was to stay within the marked area so that they did not venture into the parts where the public will be using.
Cadiz said the fishermen had been very co-operative and supportive of investigations. “They have also been traumatised by what happened on Saturday evening. It is very, very sad what happened, but something has to be done.” He said these plans will be implemented immediately. “The other thing we will do is look at the whole issue of boating and marine craft, and people who drive onto the beaches.
“We will be looking at the regulations and legislations regarding the use of public beaches.” Blaides will be laid to rest on Monday after a funeral service at the Exodus Assembly Church in Longdenville, Chaguanas.