SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Virgin Islander Winston J. Ledee, of St. Thomas, has been having dealing with some bad luck at sea.
An accident in his 35-foot "Great White II" off St. Thomas last year, left his friend Tony "Pirate Tony" Neely paralyzed from the waist down. And on Tuesday a Coast Guard cutter crashed into his 42-foot commercial fishing boat "The Sea Shepherd."
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The 110-foot cutter was coming directly toward his boat, Ledee, 57, and Kenneth Turbe, 30, were able to leap out of the boat and into the water just in time to avoid the collision.
They swam back to hold on to what ever was left of the boat. But after the Coast Guard "Key Largo" crew rescued them northeast of Vieques, Puerto Rico -- the boat sank. On Thursday, Sea Tow was unable to salvage it.
National Transportation Safety Board and Coast Guard investigators are looking into what caused the collision. Financial claims against the Coast Guard were also being assessed. Captain Mike Zamperini said in a statement that the results of the investigation should be completed in Nov.
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