Marine Patrol to seize boat following drowning incident

The Marine Patrol Division will seize a six-footer boat that capsized in Fagalii over the weekend and led to the drowning of a 63-year-old man.

This was confirmed by Lt Okesene Muaava of the Marine Patrol in an interview with KVKZ today.

According to Lt Muaava, the boat is not registered and has no safety equipment as mandated by law under Title 20 of the American Samoa Code Annotated.

He said the family went out, the elderly man, his daughter and her husband, when the boat capsized; the woman and her husband survived, but unfortunately for the man, he drowned.

Furthermore, the Marine Patrol says they have been raising awareness on the importance of boat file float plans and having safety equipment on board, but it appears as if it's taken lightly by boat owners hence the move to seize the boat.

Lt Muaava said while they understand that the family is going through a hard time given the loss of life, the law must be upheld to serve as deterrence and preventative measures.