Third crew member requests to join lawsuit against former Loon yacht captain

On 24 December (2024), a chase boat belonging to the 67.5-metre Iconsuperyacht Loon crashed onto the rocks of Anse des Cayes Bay in St Barths. Six people were injured out of the 11 American nationals on board, including stewardess Natalia Niznik, who was "ejected" from the boat on impact, landing on the rocks and sustaining injuries to her face, leg and jaw.

A negligence complaint filed by Niznik and her co-worker, Klara Holubova, has cited Loon's former captain, Paul Clarke, as the operator of the vessel. The case is ongoing, with a formal hearing scheduled for 10 July.

The chase boat is named Reel Time and belongs to HCB Yachts' 53' Sueños RXV series. She measures 16.2 metres and comes equipped with quad engines, a fully functional fishing platform and galley kitchen.

A third crew member has requested to join the negligence complaint filed against the former captain of Loon following an disastrous tender crash in St Barths (24 December). According to the new filing, Austin Scaccianoce – Loon's videographer and co-worker of original Plaintiffs Natalia Niznik and Klara Holubova – was on board and "similarly injured" at the time of the crash.

Court documents obtained by BOAT International describe how the force of the collision resulted in Scaccianoce sustaining injuries to his hips, with further injuries to his legs and feet – including a fracture – caused by "rescu[ing]" Niznik, who had been thrown overboard.

The latest filing emphasised the importance of intervention – as, if the trial were to proceed without him, Scaccianoce would "lose his opportunity of recovery for his injuries". He entreated the Court to "allow him to intervene in this action", while also requesting any further relief it deemed "just and proper".