On Thursday July 23, 2008, the Seychelles Nation reported that a man has been admitted to Victoria Hospital after an accident at sea, while two others were still missing. According to the Nation, Percy Samson was taken to hospital while a search was still underway to find Pat Micock and Jimmy Morel. The three men were believed to be on a fishing trip in a speedboat when the accident occurred just off Ste Anne Island. Still according to the Nation the Coastguard was alerted at about 1 am on Wednesday morning by the relatives of one of the men and they reacted instantly.
This newspaper visited Percy Samson at the Victoria Hospital and obtained his version of events. According to Samson that was not the first time he had gone out fishing at night with Micock and Morel. In fact they have been out fishing before on several occasions. Having left the shore they discovered that the weather further out at sea was particularly bad with rough seas and big waves. Having reached just off the coast of Ste Anne Island, they realized that something was wrong and that the boat was not moving at speed and had started to take in water. “It was dark, the sea was very rough and nothing we tried seems to work” said Samson. “Using my mobile phone I called my relatives and asked them to alert the authorities, as this was the most logical thing to do at the time - under the circumstances”, he added. According to Samson the boat did not take long to capsize, all three of them had to abandon the speedboat. He managed to grab onto a floater, he could only hear his colleagues, but was unable to see them – the current was strong and in no time he was drifting further and further away. He ended up at North East Point. Percy Samson was discharged from hospital that same week with minor scratches and bruises to his body and face (see our pictures), but traumatized from his ordeal.
According to Samson, since leaving hospital he has been informed that there is a plot to assassinate him and he fears for his life. He has been warned by people very close to the state security unit, who offered protection for money, that a contract has been taken out for his elimination. The People newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling SPPF party - has not helped this situation. In an article featured in their Issue No. 23, July 24 2008, the paper poured skepticism on Samson’s version of events. “Doubts shroud the exact cause of the sinking of the boat and some smell something fishy”, The People wrote.
It is also common knowledge in Seychelles that Percy Samson and his family has in recent years been a target for the local authority. Percy Samson told this newspaper just before leaving the country for Singapore that he is being extorted for money by members of the police force and even by political people high up in government. They have offered him protection in exchange for large sums of money. Samson has decided to seek protection elsewhere as he fears for his life and he cannot afford the kind of money he is being asked to part with in exchange for his life by the local extortionists.
Sunken boat being taken ashore by Coastguard vessel