Ten British holidaymakers are robbed at gunpoint on paradise island of St Lucia as locals claim police were too busy dealing with Matt Damon's celebrity-packed party
Ten British holidaymakers were among a
group of cruise ship passengers robbed at gunpoint during a stopover on
the Caribbean island of St Lucia.
Three masked armed men held the terrified tourists – forcing them to handover cash and jewellery.
Many were left in tears from their ordeal and were visibly shaken when the group of 55 and two staff returned to their cruise the Celebrity Eclipse.
A third person was being sought and sources said some of the jewellery stolen during the robbery had been recovered.
One passenger posted details of the robbery on the internet forum Cruise Critic.
She claimed that a woman had broken her leg during the hold-up.
Using the name Arizona Cruz Chic, she wrote: ‘One of the ships tour was robbed at gunpoint by three masked gunmen.
'We’re not on the tour but friends were. They said one woman fell and broke her leg, no one else was injured, all their money and jewellery were taken.’
The victims, who were in a convoy of mini-buses, were held up at the Botanical Gardens in Soufriere in the north of the island during a tour excursion.
The robbery took place less than a mile from where St Lucia police had mounted a huge security operation to protect Hollywood star Matt Damon and a star studded guest list at an exclusive beach resort.
The actor and his wife Luciana
were renewing their marriage vows at the Sugar Beach resort where they
had booked all 78 rooms at a cost of close to £750,000.
Guests at the ceremony included former President Bill Clinton’s daughter Chelsea, actors Robert De Niro and Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Garner.
Many locals on the island had criticised the police operation that was using the time and resources of so many officers, and was put into force to stop photographers from taking pictures of the wedding ceremony.
Damon and his wife renewed their vows on Saturday but had been at the resort all week.
St Lucia’s tourism minister Lorne Theophilus described the robbery as ‘unfortunate and a horrible scenario’.
He said the country’s prime minister had been asked to be kept informed of the situation.
Matthew Beaubrun, Chairman of the St Lucia Tourist Board said: ‘This is a rare incident. This is such an important industry for us that we need to respond.
‘We have taken it very seriously at the highest level and I know the minister’s been in touch with the prime minister, so we are not taking this thing lightly.’
The guests were on two shore excursions, one called ‘Breathtaking Soufrière and Warm Mineral Baths’ and the other ‘Land and Sea to the Pitons’, both of which were travelling on the same bus.
Last year more than 400,000 tourist visited St Lucia, with more than a quarter of those from cruise ships.
A statement from Celebrity Cruises said: ‘No one was injured in the robbery and the guests returned to the ship unharmed.
‘We are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event, and will continue to provide them any support they may need.
‘A vacation is supposed to be filled with fun, rejuvenation and relaxation. An act of crime should not be part of any vacation, and we regret our guests had to experience those events.’
The Celebrity Eclipse had docked in Castries harbour on Friday for a 12 hour stay. The 121,000 ton ship, which has 17 decks and can cater for 2,800 passengers, was on a 14 day Caribbean tour. Prices cost around £3,000.
The vessel had left Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 6 and its ports of calls include Barbados, Grenada and Aruba before returning to Florida on Saturday.
Around 70,000 Britons visit St Lucia each year. The Foreign Office warns of ‘petty crime, including thefts’, adding that ‘there have also been some incidents of violent crime including assaults and murder’.
This incident is the latest involving British tourists visiting the Caribbean this year.
Last month two British tourists were shot and injured in Barbados.
Ann Prior, 59, and her 72-year-old husband Phillip were gunned down during a botched street robbery in the capital Bridgetown.
The couple, from Woodbridge, Suffolk, were on a stopover on a three month P&O round-the-world-cruise when they were attacked.
And in January a leading British professor and his wife were seriously injured when they arrived at their holiday villa in Barbados.
Dr James Bridges and his wife Olga suffered multiple stab wounds as they fought with their attacker.
Three masked armed men held the terrified tourists – forcing them to handover cash and jewellery.
Many were left in tears from their ordeal and were visibly shaken when the group of 55 and two staff returned to their cruise the Celebrity Eclipse.
Holiday terror: A woman weeps as she returns to her cruise ship
Robbed in paradise: Cruise passengers from the
Celebrity Eclipse were visibly shaken as they returned to the ship at
its mooring in Castries on Friday, after their group was held at gun
point and robbed
Enlarge
Detectives with the St Lucia police
boarded the vessel to take statements from the passengers involved and
two men have since been arrested in connection with the robbery.
Grinning like newlyweds: Matt Damon and wife Luciana the morning after renewing their vows on the island
A third person was being sought and sources said some of the jewellery stolen during the robbery had been recovered.
One passenger posted details of the robbery on the internet forum Cruise Critic.
She claimed that a woman had broken her leg during the hold-up.
Using the name Arizona Cruz Chic, she wrote: ‘One of the ships tour was robbed at gunpoint by three masked gunmen.
'We’re not on the tour but friends were. They said one woman fell and broke her leg, no one else was injured, all their money and jewellery were taken.’
The victims, who were in a convoy of mini-buses, were held up at the Botanical Gardens in Soufriere in the north of the island during a tour excursion.
The robbery took place less than a mile from where St Lucia police had mounted a huge security operation to protect Hollywood star Matt Damon and a star studded guest list at an exclusive beach resort.
Safe now: Passengers who fell victim to the robbery return to their ship from one of the minibuses held up
Manhunt: Police today said they had arrested two men in connection with the robbery
Guests at the ceremony included former President Bill Clinton’s daughter Chelsea, actors Robert De Niro and Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Garner.
Many locals on the island had criticised the police operation that was using the time and resources of so many officers, and was put into force to stop photographers from taking pictures of the wedding ceremony.
Damon and his wife renewed their vows on Saturday but had been at the resort all week.
St Lucia’s tourism minister Lorne Theophilus described the robbery as ‘unfortunate and a horrible scenario’.
Natural beauty: A waterfall at the botanical
gardens in Soufriere, St Lucia. Ten Britons were among tourists on a
cruise day trip to the gardens who were robbed at gunpoint by masked men
on Friday
The town of Soufriere is overlooked by two
dormant volcanoes known as the Pitons: Police today said they had
arrested two men in connection with the robbery and a third person was
being sought
Police protectio: Locals said that security had
been deployed to deal with Matt Damon renewing his wedding vows to
Luciana Barroso
Matthew Beaubrun, Chairman of the St Lucia Tourist Board said: ‘This is a rare incident. This is such an important industry for us that we need to respond.
‘We have taken it very seriously at the highest level and I know the minister’s been in touch with the prime minister, so we are not taking this thing lightly.’
The guests were on two shore excursions, one called ‘Breathtaking Soufrière and Warm Mineral Baths’ and the other ‘Land and Sea to the Pitons’, both of which were travelling on the same bus.
Last year more than 400,000 tourist visited St Lucia, with more than a quarter of those from cruise ships.
A statement from Celebrity Cruises said: ‘No one was injured in the robbery and the guests returned to the ship unharmed.
‘We are thankful that none of our guests were injured in this unfortunate event, and will continue to provide them any support they may need.
‘A vacation is supposed to be filled with fun, rejuvenation and relaxation. An act of crime should not be part of any vacation, and we regret our guests had to experience those events.’
The Celebrity Eclipse had docked in Castries harbour on Friday for a 12 hour stay. The 121,000 ton ship, which has 17 decks and can cater for 2,800 passengers, was on a 14 day Caribbean tour. Prices cost around £3,000.
The vessel had left Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 6 and its ports of calls include Barbados, Grenada and Aruba before returning to Florida on Saturday.
Around 70,000 Britons visit St Lucia each year. The Foreign Office warns of ‘petty crime, including thefts’, adding that ‘there have also been some incidents of violent crime including assaults and murder’.
The Celebrity Eclipse: Detectives boarded the
cruise ship to take statements from the 55 passengers who were involved
before it embarked on the next stage of its Caribbean voyage.
Last month two British tourists were shot and injured in Barbados.
Ann Prior, 59, and her 72-year-old husband Phillip were gunned down during a botched street robbery in the capital Bridgetown.
The couple, from Woodbridge, Suffolk, were on a stopover on a three month P&O round-the-world-cruise when they were attacked.
And in January a leading British professor and his wife were seriously injured when they arrived at their holiday villa in Barbados.
Dr James Bridges and his wife Olga suffered multiple stab wounds as they fought with their attacker.