Lagos boat mishap: Police arrest crew members

Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, has disclosed that the crew members of the ill-fated SEALINK Boat that capsized on Tuesday at Oworonshoki end of Third Mainland Bridge area of the Lagos State have already been taken into police custody as the investigation is still ongoing.

Emmanuel, who confirmed the mishap in a statement, said that 19 persons were rescued alive by the agency, while one of the passengers on board the boat was unfortunately lost.

The passenger boat identified as SEALINK was said to be travelling from Ikorodu to CMS when the incident occurred at about 9:30 am in Oworonshoki after hitting a submerged object.

While confirming the incident, Emmanuel said the 19 persons rescued have already been taken to Ebute Ero Jetty from where they were transferred to the hospital, while further investigations on the cause of the accident were still ongoing.
Related: One die, 19 rescued in Lagos boat mishap

He said: “A passenger boat named SEALINK with 20 passengers and two crew onboard coming from Ikorodu to CMS ran over a submerged wooden boat close to Third Mainland Bridge. 19 passengers were carried to safety to Ebute Ero Jetty.

“The LASWA emergency response team recovered a female body (identified as a police officer attached to Zone Two police station) and handed over the corpse to the Marine Police. Her husband is an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

“The submerged SEALINK Boat has been salvaged and towed to a secure location off the waterways. Salvaging Operations is also taking place to get the submerged wooden boat off the navigable channel,” the LASWA boss said.

While commiserating with the family of the deceased, Emmanuel assured that the State Government would not relent in coming up with policies and programmes aimed at ensuring safety on the waterways.