Former Hillcrest High School pupil Paige Bell was living the high life cruising the turquoise waters of the Bahamas in a 41m superyacht, rubbing shoulders with the jet set and soaking up the vibe of the bustling Caribbean beach clubs.
She had planned, however, to ditch the luxury yacht — which costs R3.5m a week to charter — and fly home to Durban to celebrate her 21st birthday tomorrow with friends and family.
Instead, bitter tears will be shed as they eat her favourite red velvet cake and toast the “beautiful soul” whose brutalised body was found on July 3 in an engine room of the superyacht docked in the Bahamas.
At 7pm, global yachtie connections will unite in a moment of silence and sound their horns as a tribute to Bell, described by her alma mater as “as an incredibly special young lady who was the happiest, most bubbly person”.
According to global superyacht authority BOAT International, police arrested a fellow crew member, Mexican engineer Brigido Munoz, 39, who was found with severe injuries to his arms, near Bell’s body. She was partially undressed, with her throat slashed and defensive wounds on her body. Police are investigating a case of murder and attempted suicide.
Bell’s parents — Michelle and John Bell — flew to the Bahamas last week “to begin the painful process of not only bringing their baby girl home but also seeking justice for the monster who took her life”, her sister Chelsey Jacobs said in a Facebook post shared by Palma Yacht Crew.
The tragedy comes amid fresh calls to bolster security checks on international crew, to ensure the safety of those working aboard superyachts.
A petition launched two years ago, “Make criminal background checks a legal requirement applicable to seafarers internationally”, saw a surge in signatories immediately after Bell’s murder. More than 4,500 people have now signed the appeal.
Super Yachting South Africa director Isobel Odendaal, an industry expert, told the Sunday Times some aspects of sailing, such as the security surrounding the yacht and the owners, are safe.
“Many yacht owners and guests bring bodyguards on board for their safety. However, they are for the guests, not the crew. The crew are trained to certified watchkeeping safety standards and should receive additional on-board training for the safe operation of the vessel, including security and cybersecurity awareness.
“However, there is another aspect of safety on board which, though it is highlighted in legislation, seems to be continually brushed under the carpet, and that is the threat of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and abuse — all of which affect the safety of the vessel, as well as the mental health of the crew members.”
“The crew are [present] 24/7 when guests are on board, which is extremely tough. There is no downtime, and the crew get little sleep, so when they finally have some time off, they tend to enjoy it to the fullest on dry land. Once ashore, they are prime targets for drink-spiking, muggings and attacks, and in my 30 years working in the yachting industry, I have seen many of these incidents,” she said.
She said Bell’s death demonstrated the dire need for thorough background checks for all crew.
“Remarkably, some yacht owners do not insist on checks, [despite] their lives being literally at risk. The problem, though, is that if [a person has not been formally criminally charged for an alleged offence], nothing will show up on his or her record. More thorough checking will be required to unearth [criminal] cautions and [bad] reputations.”
“I also believe more should be done regarding seafarer medical exams to investigate [the possibility of a prospective crew member suffering from] a mental illness. Such an enquiry, combined with criminal background checks, will help create a safer working environment. Of course, there will always be a few bad apples [that get through], but [the additional checks] would help.
“We also need the crew, heads of department, management companies and stakeholders to be more vigilant and proactive when it comes to the personal safety of the crew. If a crew member reports an incident, it should not be swept under the carpet but dealt with immediately. [If this had been done], perhaps this [tragic incident] and many others could have been avoided,” she said.
International Seafarers Welfare and Assistance Network’s Annual Report 2023/24 revealed there were 167 cases of abuse, bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence on board vessels, and that women were 2.5 times more likely to report such incidents.
“The industry needs to change. It will never be 100% safe, just like any other industry, but it can no longer be the Wild West, as it has been for too long. Unfortunately, the crew [are exposed to danger because they leave] the yacht and [come into contact with] outside criminal elements.”
“Still, I have consistently advised my students that [there is] safety in numbers, and [I have encouraged them] to follow the same rules one would when going out in Johannesburg, for instance. As regards working on board with other crew members, people deserve a safe space where they can explore their dreams and build a future in [what can be] a fantastic industry,” said Odendaal.
Another expert, Angela Wallace, director of superyacht training company Purser Trainer, said, “The maritime industry is generally considered a safe one in terms of shipbuilding standards, surveys and compliance. However, we have more vessels at sea now than ever before, and as such there will inevitably be more accidents.”
She said the pressure owners and management companies put on the crew was “perhaps the real issue”.
“Unrealistic demands, tight turnarounds for guest charters, cutting corners with procedures to speed up turnarounds, employing inexperienced crew because they will work for less money, [the absence of] thorough background checks, and the lack of time to even do checks because a crew member is needed ASAP (because ‘we need to be off the dock in two hours’) are a problem. In addition, the failure to use registered recruitment agencies may also mean a crew member has not been properly interviewed and vetted. Thus, a yacht may potentially hire someone who is unqualified, and possibly unscrupulous.”
Former crew members of Sweet Emocean, on which Bell worked as a stewardess until December, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise $60,000 (R1m) to help her family bring Bell’s body back to South Africa. By Saturday, they had raised almost $54,000 for the young woman they called a “beautiful soul”.
“Paige was more than a teammate — she was family. Her radiant spirit, infectious laughter and boundless compassion made an unforgettable impact on everyone lucky enough to know her. Whether it was long days at sea or quiet moments under the stars, she brought light and warmth wherever she went,” they wrote.
