The murder of South African stewardess Paige Bell aboard the $10 million superyacht Far From It in the Bahamas, has spotlighted safety concerns for workers in the global maritime sector.
The 20-year-old Durban woman, who was set to return home to celebrate her 21st birthday on July 14, was found lifeless in the engine room of the vessel last Friday. The yacht was anchored off Harbour Island, a hotspot for celebrities and the ultra-rich. Her murder has sent shockwaves through the global shipping community.
Crew members reported Bell missing at around 1pm on July 3. Royal Bahamas Police Force officers responded to the marina and discovered her, partially undressed and unresponsive, with visible injuries, including defensive wounds, evidence of a violent struggle. A local doctor declared her dead at the scene of the crime.
The yacht’s chief engineer, Brigido Munoz, 40, a Mexican national, was found lying beside her with severe arm injuries police described as a botched suicide attempt. Munoz faces murder charges and was remanded in custody until November 20.
Far From It, a 43-metre charter yacht built in 2008, draws £100 000-£120 000 weekly from wealthy clients.
A GoFundMe campaign launched to help Bell’s family has raised more than R700,000 to cover repatriation and legal costs.
As Bahamas police probe Munoz’s motive, the lack of mandatory background checks in yacht hiring has sparked outrage about crew safety.
Jessie Frost, director of the recruitment and placement agency Crewfolio, has renewed her earlier call for background checks to be done when recruiting yacht crew.
Frost, who launched a petition over two years ago for mandatory background checks, wrote in an article in dockwalk.com on July 8 that “sadly, themes of bullying, harassment, sexual and physical violence, theft and even murder surface year after year – often quietly accepted, normalised, or brushed aside”.
