Spanish student Ana Carolina Barry-Laso
leaves the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain,
yesterday, after the hearing of the
lawsuit she brought for her injuries in
a boat accident. PHOTO: JENNIFER WATSON

Two students who escaped death in a boat accident at Pigeon Point, Tobago, two years ago were in court yesterday, seeking, among other things, recovery of their medical bills which have so far crossed the $6 million mark. Ana Carolina Barry-Laso, of Pontevedra, Spain, and Yanik Quesnel, of Kensington Court, Cascade, have sued the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Pigeon Point Heritage Park Ltd and the Attorney General, seeking damages for personal injuries and consequential loss for negligence, while they were using the beach facilities at Pigeon Point on June 12, 2007. Quesnel is paralysed from the neck down, while Laso’s entire left side is paralysed.

The civil trial started yesterday before Justice Judith Jones in the Port-of-Spain High Court. The two students are being represented by Douglas Mendes, SC, and Kerwyn Garcia. Elton Prescott, SC, Phillip Lamont and Alvin Pascall appear for the THA and Pigeon Point Ltd. Russell Martineau, SC, state attorneys Sarfraz Algaran, Mira Goolam, Deborah Jean-Baptiste-Samuel and Sean Julien represent the Attorney General. Hearing continues this morning. Quesnel, who will turn 20 next week, could not go into the witness box because he is confined to a wheelchair. He gave his evidence from the front of the Bar table. In his statement, which was tendered into evidence, Quesnel said he met Laso while they were studying in Costa Rica. He invited her to Trinidad to spend the summer vacation in 2007. They arrived in Trinidad on May 31, 2007.

Quesnel said on the morning of June 12, 2007, his father Bernard drove them to the fort at Scarborough, and then to Mount Irvine. They ended up in Pigeon Point at 4.15 pm. He said after surfing for a while, he and Laso went towards the shoreline. “We entered the water which was shallow at first, but suddenly, it got deeper to the height of my chest...I am six feet, two inches,” he said. “The next thing I remember is seeing a boat almost on top of us. I do not remember hearing the sound of an engine at all before I saw the boat. By the time I saw the boat, there was no time to get out of the way. “After this, the next thing I remember was waking up at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and seeing people around me. I have sustained very serious injuries as a result of the boat colliding with me.”

In court yesterday, Quesnel said this trip was his second to Pigeon Point. The first, he said, was about seven years before. Quesnel listed his medical bills so far as $3,025,303.58. He has received medical attention in Trinidad, Miami and Spain. Among his injuries listed were traumatic head injury, quadraparesis, a fractured pelvis, laminar fracture, a right acetabular fracture, and paralysis from the neck down. Laso’s medical bills, so far, have reached £286,583.13 ($3.07 million). Laso, 19, has received medical attention in Trinidad, Miami and Spain. Among her injuries listed were severe compressed cranial fracture, puncture of the brain membrane, paralysis of the entire left side, nerve damage to the upper right arm and left shoulder, and three broken toes.