Caribbean Yachting World Shocked by Attack -Update

by Nancy Knudsen on 6 Apr 2008 The yachting world in English Harbour, Antigua, and the wider Caribbean is reeling from the vicious attack on well known yachting identity Mike Rose last week.

Mike Rose was savagely attacked with a knife as he and his partner of many years, Ann, entered their home on Horsford Hill, English Harbour. According to family friend, Tim deGavre, he now lies in the ICU, Holberton Hospital recovering from stabs in the neck, back, front, and sides.

The effect on the yachting industry in Antigua and in English Harbour in particular is profound. Mike is hugely well-known and respected by yachtsmen around the world. He founded, and is the chairman of, the Royal Naval Tot Club of Antigua and Barbuda, a club whose hundreds of members around the world include admirals, captains and members of the Lower Decks of the Royal Navy and the Coast Guard; and personages that range from the founder and first CEO of Oyster Yachts to single-handed sailors roaming the seas.

As the voice of Antigua’s Classic Yacht Regatta for many years, Mike has conducted the races from his radio on the bridge of the Committee Boat.

Mike is also well-known and highly sought after as a professional yacht deliverer, having brought sailing craft of all types safely across the oceans for their owners.

Updates below:

Sender: Rob Mclean

Message: Just to let you know that all of Mike's Colleagues, Friends, and fellow tot club members have pledge over $90,000 EC Dollars as a reward for any information leading to the capture and sucessful prosecution of the dreadlocked man who so viciously attacked Mike Rose.

The pledges are growing day by day and if you would like to join in with a personal pledge (no matter how small) please email John Duffy at lightwave@candw.ag

Any contribution you can make will make the difference between a sucessfull capture and prosecution of this dangerous person and may just save another life and help to restore the potential bad feelings that will manifest within the sailing industry should this matter be left to drift over the horizon without action.

Here is the latest news from John Duffy from an email just sent out today:-

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Mike Rose

Update

Mike is still slowly improving and in some discomfort but the treatment he is receiving appears to be attentive and caring. He was released from intensive care yesterday which means that they know he is going to survive. Good for him but that means we will still have to suffer him unlike most of you who only visit occasionally.

The doctors keep saying he is doing very well for his age, 67. What they don;t recognise is that it's Mike Rose and he's probably doing quite badly for Mike Rose. We keep trying to tell them but they don't seem to understand.

His two blood transfusions totalled three litres of blood and he has had a slight blood pressure problem which doctors think is probably due to the stress of his situation (more likely due to the lack of Pussers to thin the blood). He has been out of bed twice to go to the toilet but it is so much hassle that he has resorted to a bottle. He has to drag around with him the various stands containing the drip and drain tubes and connections to that monitor that keeps going bleep but everyone ignores until it turns itself off then they go into panic mode (at least that?s what happens in the movies). (He has told me today on the ?phone that they have taken all the tubes out of him)

Mike complained that the dogs were useless but I am not so sure. A neighbour heard them barking but took no notice. By sheer chance the burglar grabbed a small dustbin (garbage or trash can to you Americans) which happened to be full of dog biscuits and threw it at the dogs. They must have thought Christmas had come early. Nelson (the male dog) did, belatedly, try to do his duty and bit a policeman and the ambulance driver. I think he needs a few lessons in whose side he's on.

Now I must digress slightly. About three years ago, just after we had been burgled, Mike left me a message when I was out doing Tot Club Keep Fit (clearing nature trails in the National Park) to say he had found two very young puppies under his car and he thought we might need them as household protection. At six weeks old, I doubted their ability to fight off a mongoose let alone a burglar but I allowed myself to be persuaded to take a look on condition we only took one. I had the experience of looking after Mike?s dogs for a month when he and Anne went back to the U.K.. No way would I have two dogs to train at the same time. Needless to say nurture overcame common sense and we ended up with both puppies, however, with the single exception of Mike, they attack anyone who comes near the house. Maybe Mike should have kept them.

When we visited Mike on Saturday he was allowed any liquid so I asked what he would like. You can guess the answer. Fortunately, the hospital shop was out of stock. I thought that Mike might send me on a Bolands Village Post Office rum run but he seemed quite content with Ribeana. That was unavailable so he received three bottles of orange, cranberry and apple juice. Unfortunately the store had also run out of straws making drinking in a prone position somewhat difficult. I hope they change his sheets regularly.

Mike told me that they knew he would be getting better when he began to break wind (fart). For a couple of days he had been unsuccessful and found it somewhat uncomfortable. Just as we were about to leave Mike announced that he thought he could feel a fart coming on. I suggested he keep it silent and deadly and then blame us when we had left.

Anne returned to her home on Saturday evening having stayed with us for three days. John Leader (a Tot Club member) fitted a new deadlock to the front door and a better locking system to the back door. It is suspected that the attacker made his entry through the back door.

Another of Mike's complaints is that the wake him up at 4am to give him a bed bath. He can't have recovered too much at that stage as he couldn't tell me whether or not the nurse was pretty.

Mike has had numerous visitors and people are continually stopping Anne to ask about his condition. It's almost impossible to get through to her on the phone as it's always engaged. Mike's ex-wife and daughter arrived yesterday afternoon from the U.K. via New York, all direct flights being fully booked. One good outcome has been that Mike?s son, estranged for some twenty years, has spoken to Mike on the telephone. It's hoped he may be able to visit.

I have received three e-mails from the Commissioner of Police who admitted they do not have the ability to investigate crimes of this nature. The only way we are going to catch this criminal is with the reward. The Commissioner of Police has done the courtesy of visiting Mike who was asleep (never available when you want him) but the Commissioner is returning today.

The total of pledges is now around EC$95,000 with 200 people having made pledges. Mike and Anne are eternally grateful and the press have been informed of the reward. Posters are being distributed around the island. I was stopped in St, John's yesterday afternoon by someone who asked me to give him the name of the attacker before I give it to the police. I suggested he join the queue.