Crew murder renews calls for background checks
Paige Bell was a stew on board charter yacht Far From It.
The murder of a young crew member on board a superyacht in the Bahamas has renewed calls for rigorous background checks as standard in the industry to improve safety onboard.
Paige Bell, 20, was found dead in the engine room of the charter yacht Far From It at Harbour Island last week.
A 39-year-old Mexican engineer has been arrested and charged with her murder.
The tragedy has shocked the superyacht community and a Change.org petition calling for mandatory criminal checks has garnered more than 4,500 signatures.
Jessie Frost, director of recruitment and placement agency Crewfolio who created the petition said checks would “help mitigate risks, protect lives and ensure the safety and security of all who work and travel at sea”.
There have also been calls for leading brokerage houses and management companies to commit to background checks for crew on their yachts to improve safety, particularly for young women.
Mexican Brigido Munoz remains in custody following a court appearance in Nassau. The next hearing will be on 20th November.
The court heard South African Paige was found unresponsive with stab wounds to her neck and arms.
Munoz was reportedly lying close by with what authorities suspect to be self-inflicted injuries on his arms.
A GoFundMe to support her family has already raised more than $50,000.
