Scuffle on pirate cruise

By Brent Fuller, brent@cfp.ky

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Though the days of pirates in the Caribbean are long over it appears some bygone traditions of that era die hard in Grand Cayman.

On Friday night, a fight broke out on board the Jolly Roger pirate cruise, causing a man to be taken below until his subsequent arrest by Royal Cayman Islands Police.

The man was later released after police said crew members involved in the dust up refused to press charges.

According to two witnesses who were on the cruise Friday, the man who started the scuffle was being abusive to the ship’s crew and bothering other people on board the boat.

Witnesses said the fight escalated to the point where the ship’s crew was forced to tackle the man and put him below decks until the boat arrived back in George Town harbour.

Police said one of the crew on board the boat received a minor cut to the leg.

An RCIPS spokesperson said the cut was caused by a knife, though it’s unclear whether the injury was accidental or the result of an intentional attack.

“He (the suspect) has been released because the victim in this case didn’t want to take it any further,” said RCIPS spokesperson Deborah Denis.

The Jolly Roger pirate ship is one of two booze cruise tours that operate out of the George Town harbour. The tours take about two hours, going up along Seven Mile Beach to West Bay and back. An open bar is provided for passengers.

Witnesses said the man who was arrested did appear to be intoxicated.