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#22
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09-27-2009, 06:39 AM
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Re: Boat Propellor Death!!
Aparently Kirsty McColl (singer, most famously with the Pogues and the 'Fairytale of New York'...and the bells were ringing out for Christmas day....) took a hit to the head with the propellor. She was unrecognisable according to press reports. Her poor sons saw what happened and the state she was left in after |
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#25
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09-27-2009, 11:37 AM
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Re: Boat Propellor Death!!
Here's an excerpt from the pertinent area of her wiki: MacColl had a busy, successful year in 2000, with the success of Tropical Brainstorm, as well as her participation in the presentation of a radio programme she had done for the BBC on Cuba. MacColl decided to take a much needed holiday, and she, her partner, musician James Knight and her sons travelled to Cozumel, Mexico. She intended to introduce her sons during the trip to an activity she loved – scuba diving. On 18 December 2000, she and her sons went diving in Cozumel, in a specific diving area that watercraft were restricted from entering. With the group was a local veteran divemaster, Iván Díaz. As the group was surfacing from a dive, a speeding powerboat entered the restricted area. MacColl saw the boat coming before her sons. Louis was not in the boat's path, but Jamie was. She was able to push him out of the way (he sustained minor head and rib injuries) but in doing so, she was hit by the boat and killed instantly. MacColl's remains were repatriated to the United Kingdom and the subsequent funeral took place at Mortlake Crematorium in London. The boat involved in the accident was owned by Mexican supermarket millionaire Guillermo González Nova, who was on board with several members of his family. An employee of González Nova's, boathand José Cen Yam, claimed to have been driving the boat at the time that the accident occurred. Several published reports have included accounts from eyewitnesses that have stated Cen Yam was not at the controls; eyewitnesses also indicate that the boat was travelling much faster than the speed of one knot that Nova had claimed. Cen Yam was found guilty of culpable homicide and was sentenced to 2 years 10 months in prison. However, he was allowed under Mexican law to pay a punitive fine of 1034 pesos (about £61 or US$90) in lieu of the prison sentence. He was also ordered to pay approximately US $2150 in restitution to MacColl's family, an amount based on his wages. Published reports have included statements from people who spoke to Cen Yam after the accident, claiming Cen Yam had received money for taking the blame for the incident. González Nova family members claimed that divemaster Iván Díaz failed to put out warning marker buoys, and there is confusion as to whether he put up the correct flag on his boat. Justice for Kirsty campaign MacColl's family launched the Justice For Kirsty campaign in response to the events surrounding her death. Among the group's efforts: Lawyers for MacColl's family and the group have campaigned for a judicial review into the events surrounding her death. They have been in repeated contact with the Mexican government, and have made an application to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. MacColl's friends and family have been critical of what they have perceived as a lack of cooperation from the Mexican authorities. In May 2006, Emilio Cortez Ramírez, a federal prosecutor in Cozumel, was found liable for breach of authority in conjunction with his handling of the MacColl case. The BBC has featured a documentary by Olivia Lichtenstein, entitled Who Killed Kirsty MacColl?. U2 and Bono, who was a friend of MacColl's, spoke about the incident during a concert in Monterrey, Mexico, in February 2006. The Mexican government released a statement after the concert indicating they would take action. However, as of the present time, no additional details have come forth. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph in December 2007 MacColl's mother hoped that a combination of a new Mexican administration and the campaign to push "Fairytale of New York" to the coveted U.K Christmas Number One slot would lead to closure for the family in the next few months. |