The shoreline of Harbour Island, near where the yacht was reportedly docked.

On 3 July 2025, a 20-year-old South African stewardess was found dead on board Far From It, a 43-metre Richmond yacht docked at Harbour Island in the Bahamas. Another crew member, reportedly 40 years of age, was arrested at the scene. He has since been charged with murder.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) has confirmed that a homicide investigation is underway.

According to the police, officers discovered the young woman unresponsive in the engine room shortly after 1 pm. She had suffered visible injuries, with the Mexican national displaying severe injuries to his arms.

The suspect has been named in multiple reports, but has not yet been confirmed by Bahamian authorities. The engineer appeared in court on July 9 and was denied bail; his next hearing is scheduled for 20 November, later this year.

The investigation remains ongoing, with police declining to comment to SuperyachtNews at this time.

Although the RBPF has not released the name of the victim, she has been widely identified through family tributes and crew memorials as Paige Bell, who had recently begun her yachting career, first aboard Sweet Emocean before joining Far From It.

Bell’s former colleagues from Sweet Emocean have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support the family during their time of grief.

As her mother travels to the Bahamas, it is important to remember that Paige Bell was a person, not a headline. Behind the growing attention from the media and wider public, there are people grieving. All of them are, and will continue to be, deeply affected by this tragedy.

Sources close to SuperyachtNews have reported major emotional distress among friends and former colleagues, some of whom are still working on board while the investigation continues.

There has been considerable speculation and hearsay from various voices within and outside the sector. What this tragedy highlights, however, is the need for reflection that results in tangible change. Because once again, it draws attention to known vulnerabilities in crew welfare that have long existed, but are too often overlooked.

We must really ask ourselves if a crew member felt unsafe last month, where could they go? Who could they turn to for safety and expect change? And has that answer changed since?

Speaking to SuperyachtNews, Karine Rayson, director of The Crew Coach and a former chief stewardess, explains that this event is a call to action, one that necessitates sector-wide collaboration with crew safety at its core.

“It’s shocking that there’s no mandatory requirement for criminal background checks under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). Owners assume it’s happening, but often, it isn’t. We need to put pressure on the MLC to review their legislation.”

Rayson notes that, historically, many crew have perceived a gap in support from yacht management companies. “There’s often been a sense that management’s primary responsibility lies with the owner, which can sometimes leave crew feeling overlooked,” she explains.

“But there’s a real opportunity now for management companies to bridge that gap and play a pivotal role in fostering healthier, high-performing onboard cultures. The reality is, we have to come together to bring about change. This doesn’t work in isolation. We are a community at the end of the day. And things break when we don’t collaborate.”

Rayson will be hosting a peer-led webinar next week to offer crew a safe space to voice concerns and discuss what they would like to see change in the industry.

In the coming weeks, SuperyachtNews will be speaking with crew, management firms and recruitment professionals to better understand what practical changes, if any, are being implemented in the wake of this tragedy.

If you have been affected, please reach out to ISWAN.

If you have more information on the situation, or want to share your thoughts on the broader industry discussion, please get in touch with newsdesk@thesuperyachtgroup.com.

SuperyachtNews will keep you informed as the investigation progresses.

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