An engineer from the luxury yacht Far From It faced the court today after being charged with cutting the throat of a young stewardess on a trip to the Bahamas.
Paige Bell, 20, was found dead in an engine room last Thursday when the boat was moored in tiny Harbour Island.
Fellow crew member Brigido Munoz, 39, appeared before magistrates in Nassau, the Bahamian capital, charged with murder.
The court heard his alleged victim was found partially undressed and may have been sexually assaulted.
According to prosecutors, the South African victim had cuts on her neck and had injuries on her arms, which implied she attempted to defend herself against the suspected attacker.
Mexican national Munoz was not required to enter a plea.
Chief Magistrate Roberto Reckley denied him bail and remanded him in custody ahead of a November 20 hearing.
Police confirmed that Paige Bell, a Johannesburg native, was discovered deceased on the high-end yacht Far From It, which was anchored at Harbour Island last week.
Paige Bell, 20, from Johannesburg, was found unresponsive in the vessel docked at Harbour Island last week
Superyacht engineer Brigido Munoz, 39, appeared before magistrates in Nassau, Bahamas, on murder charges for allegedly slashing the throat of Bell
Paige had been working as a crewmember on Far From It, a £100,000-a-week motorboat docked in the Bahamas. She was found unresponsive near Munoz, who had injuries on his arm from what police described as an attempted suicide, in the yacht’s engine room
Paige, whose family live in Durban, was due to turn 21 on July 14, with a huge celebration planned to mark her milestone birthday.
But on July 3, the popular stewardess lost her life in a tragedy which has shaken the exclusive Bahamian resort and the yachting world.
Police were alerted to an incident at the marina just after 1pm that day and boarded the 43-metre yacht, where they were told that the young woman had not been seen for a short period of time.
They found Paige unresponsive in the yacht’s engine room with visible injuries, before a doctor attended the scene and confirmed she had died.
She was found near Munoz who had severe injuries to his arm in what police described as a suspected suicide attempt.
The man was apprehended, cautioned and taken to a nearby clinic for treatment, police said in a statement, before he was later charged with murder.
The circumstances surrounding Paige’s death are still under investigation, police said.
Built in 2008, Far From It is a charter yacht comprising of five suites, charging wealthy clients between £100,000 and £120,000 per week for vacations.
A friend of Paige’s described the young woman as a ‘golden girl’ and called what had happened ‘despicable’
Paige, whose family live in Durban, was due to turn 21 on July 14, with a huge celebration planned to mark her milestone birthday
It can host up to 10 guests and is staffed by nine permanent crew, according to its website.
Paige had previously worked on board the Motor Yacht Sweet Emocean as a crew member until December 2024.
Her former colleagues paid tribute in a post shared with a GoFundMe page set up to help ‘ease the financial burden’ faced by the family.
It said that she was set to celebrate her 21st birthday on July 14, just 11 days after she tragically died.
In her honor, her mother is said to have asked that ‘we all eat red velvet cake (her favorite) on that day and share a photo in remembrance of the beautiful soul she was’.
‘Paige was more than a teammate, she was family,’ wrote ‘The Bells, and Sweet Emocean Family’ in their tribute.
‘Her radiant spirit, infectious laughter, and boundless compassion made an unforgettable impact on everyone lucky enough to know her.
‘Whether it was long days at sea or quiet moments under the stars, she brought light and warmth wherever she went.’
Paige, described by those who knew her as a ‘golden girl’, had previously worked on board the Motor Yacht Sweet Emocean as a crew member until December 2024
Harbour Island is an exclusive resort in the Bahamas, 60 miles to the east of the capital Nassau (file image)
A friend of Paige’s described the young woman as a ‘golden girl’ and called what had happened ‘despicable’.
The GoFundMe page, which can be found here, has raised more than $42,000 of its initial $16,000 target already.
The upmarket resort of Harbour Island is a 3-mile by 1.5 mile playground for the rich and famous and a mecca for superyachts.
It lies 60 miles to the east of the capital Nassau and just off the larger island of Eleuthera.
Bill Gates has a mansion on the tiny island and regular tourists who holiday there include Mick Jagger, Prince Harry, Tom Cruise, Kardashians, Harrison Ford and Tom Hanks.
It is known as the ‘Billionaires Backyard’ as over 20 billionaires live there.
