# Five missing after two pleasure boats collide off Trinidad

- **Source:** https://pelavox.com/five-missing-after-two-pleasure-boats-collide-off-trinidad/
- **Publisher:** pelavox. (The voice of shipping)
- **Author:** Jason Nicholson
- **Published:** 2026-11-10T19:00:00+00:00
- **Updated:** 2026-11-10T09:23:12+00:00
- **Section:** Shipping / Passenger & Cruise
- **Type:** News
- **Topics:** Boat Collision, Chaguaramas, Coast Guard, Maritime Accident, Search and Rescue, Trinidad and Tobago

Search and rescue operations are continuing off the northwestern coast of Trinidad and Tobago after two pleasure boats collided on the evening of November 8, leaving five people missing and several others injured.

According to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, the collision occurred in waters near Chaguaramas, where the impact caused passengers to be thrown overboard and one of the vessels to sink. Rescue teams, supported by police units and volunteers, have been searching the surrounding waters for those still unaccounted for.

Preliminary police reports identified the vessels as BAMBALEO, a 28-foot Bowen pleasure craft, and BELBAGAI, a 29-foot Chantelle vessel. BAMBALEO was reportedly travelling east when it collided with BELBAGAI, which was heading in the opposite direction.

The collision caused extensive damage to both boats, while BELBAGAI subsequently sank. All 18 people reported aboard BAMBALEO were accounted for, according to police, while five people associated with BELBAGAI remained missing.

Several survivors were transported to shore and received medical treatment for injuries sustained during the incident. The Coast Guard described the reported injuries as non-life-threatening, with some passengers taken to the St. James Medical Complex.

Search operations have involved the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, Coast Guard divers, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Coastal Support Unit and the police Air Support Unit, which has provided aerial assistance. The Hunters Search and Rescue Team and other responders have also supported efforts to locate the missing passengers.

Local reports indicated that the collision occurred near Staubles Bay, in the Chaguaramas area, where nearby vessels assisted in rescuing passengers and transporting injured people to shore.

Authorities have not announced a confirmed cause of the collision. The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the operation of the two vessels immediately before impact, remain subject to investigation.

As of the latest reports reviewed on November 10, five people remained unaccounted for, with no confirmed announcement of fatalities. Search and rescue efforts were continuing as authorities worked to establish the circumstances of the accident.

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Cite as: "Five missing after two pleasure boats collide off Trinidad", pelavox., 10 November 2026, https://pelavox.com/five-missing-after-two-pleasure-boats-collide-off-trinidad/