2 feared dead, 18 rescued in Lagos boat mishap

At least two persons were feared dead at the weekend when
an 18-seater passenger boat in which they were travelling ran
into another boat along the Ojo-Tin-Can Island water channel
in Lagos.
The victims, whose identities could not be ascertained as at
press time were suspected to be the boat operator and his
assistant. They were said to be the only ones on board the
second boat as at the time of the accident. However, local
divers reportedly rescued the 18 others who were travelling on
board the passenger boat. They were said to be hospitalised
in an undisclosed hospital at Ojo, Lagos.
It was gathered that the boat carrying the 18 passengers
allegedly took off from the Ojo area of Lagos at about 11.30
a.m. on Friday and was heading towards Tin-Can/Coconut
when it rammed into the second boat coming from the
opposite direction. It was also learnt that those on the Tin-
Can -bound boat recovered the bodies of the two victims from
the water.
They were rushed to an undisclosed hospital located in
Coconut area, where they were confirmed dead, it was
gathered.
“Those who could swim, swam their way to a nearby island,
while few others were rescued by a combined team of
fishermen and local dredgers,” a witness said. The source
blamed the assistant operator of the boat they were traveling
in for the accident. The source, who identified himself as
Subar, a clearing agent, who works with a shipping company
in Lagos, attributed the incident to the recklessness of the
assistant operator of the boat, who was sitting down instead
of standing while steering the boat.