Post-mortem rules that British teenager Bethany Smith died by misadventure

A post-mortem examination has established that Welsh teenager Bethany Smith died instantly after falling off the mast of schooner Germania Nova in Jamaica. The death certificate will record death by misadventure

22 March 2017

YBW has spoken exclusively to the family of Welsh teenager Bethany Smith who have confirmed their daughter died instantly after falling off the mast of the luxury yacht.
The death certificate will record death by misadventure.

David and Sarah Smith along with Beth’s brother Bryn will pay tribute to their daughter and sister and scatter her ashes on Saturday 1st April 2017 in Chacachacare, Trinidad. Family friends and some crew member of Germania Nova will attend the gathering to celebrate the 18 year old sailing enthusiast’s life.
An investigation into Bethany’s death is ongoing.

16 March 2017

Bethany Smith, 18, was cleaning the mast of the 60-metre luxury yacht Germania Nova when she fell onto the deck.

The teen, from Glyn-Dyfrdwy, Denbighshire, Wales, was taken to the Port Antonio Hospital in Portland, Jamaica, but later died of multiple injuries.

According to the local newspaper, Jamaica Observer, Bethany suffered the fall after the ropes which were tying her to the yacht’s mast came undone. An investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

The 18-year-old sailing enthusiast was working as a junior deckhand on the luxury schooner Germania Nova.
She had joined the yacht a year earlier, after reportedly falling in love with it when she saw it in Trinidad.

Bethany Smith and her brother Bryn left the UK with their parents David and Sarah Smith 10 years ago to sail around the world on their yacht.
The Smiths travelled to 19 countries in 9 years and homeschooled their children.
They first cruised around the Mediterranean, then went on to the Canary Islands before crossing the Atlantic.
The family then sailed to the Caribbean.
Bethany documented their voyages in her blog, http://www.flutingtootingbethany.com/.

Friends of her parents have set up a GoFundMe memorial fund to help the family with the expenses following the tragedy. Over $12,000 has already been donated.

On the GoFundMe page, Bethany is described as “a generous person and a ray of sunshine who brought laughter and music into the lives of those she met”.

Niall Robinson, the partner in Hill Robinson Yacht Management, the company which charters the Germania Nova, released a statement yesterday, which reads: “We are desperately sad to confirm that a tragic accident has occurred on Germania Nova leading to the fatality of a crewmember.

“The crewmember’s next of kin have been informed and our thoughts are with the family, friends and fellow crew members at this very difficult time. Hill Robinson and the Owners are doing everything possible to support the family and friends and of course an immediate investigation is already underway.”

YBW‘s Digital Content Producer Katy Stickland is a friend of the Smiths and taught Bethany to dive when the family was cruising Tobago.

“Beth brought joy and touched the lives of everyone who came into contact with her and all of us are worse off with her no longer in our lives,” remembers Katy.

“She was a caring, special, intelligent, beautiful and talented young woman, who was just starting her professional sailing career and she was so excited about working on Germania Nova.

“She was passionate about sailing and had such knowledge having lived on board since she was a child, and all of us could see that she was destined for great things. She was truly unforgettable. This tragedy has left everyone who knew her heartbroken.”