Gleeson Job, the man behind the ill-fated SOCA RAFF UP 2020, admits there may have been a breakdown in communication, which caused panic among event patrons.
But the Event Manager for The House of Siete asserts that at no time was any patron in mortal danger.
The fete promoter told Guardian Media today that there were enough life jackets available, as well as additional lifeboats, in the event of a serious disaster.
According to Gleeson Job, their event did not exceed the number of persons for which the boats are licensed, meaning that there would have been enough safety equipment for all persons present.
“The Embassy caters for 250 persons; we had 144 persons on the boat. Top Cat caters for 250 persons; we had 200 persons on that boat,” he confirmed. “We got the door report from the company that we hired to do it. We had some Fire Service personnel there and they checked.”
He added: “Another vessel that was there had life jackets stored on three different areas on the boat. So there are some that would have been easily spotted and there are some that are stored on the inside. A patron would not be able to see that unless there is a situation where that boat management activates their evacuation plan.”
Gleeson Job explains that the owners of the vessels they hire for their events normally are responsible for ensuring that all safety protocols and measures are put in place.
He says in addition, his team would take their own extra precautions.
“We hire additional personnel,” he told us. “In this case, we would have hired the Advanced Dynamics Security firm. When we hire them, their job is to assist in case of any situation: to assist in evacuating people; assist in quelling any type of incident that is happening on the boat,” Gleeson Job states. “So on our end, we would have put systems in place and then, we are also reassured by the vessel owner that all the checks and balances had been done.”
Gleeson Job says his event company is a global brand, and takes the safety of its patrons very seriously, especially when it comes to events being staged on the seas.
