As many as four people claimed to have witnessed the crash that killed local boater Shawn Leass Saturday evening. They said a fast-moving Customs and Border Protection boat sped into the narrow Hulover Cut between Hassel Island and St. Thomas, ignoring two “No Wake” buoys. Leass, in his small, low-power dinghy, had no chance of getting out of the way.
A witness on Water Island told the Source it was routine for the 41-foot Coastal Interceptor Vessel to speed into the thin waterway. But this was roughly 7:30 p.m. on the last day of St. Thomas Carnival, when the channel would have been busier than normal.
The horrific sound of the crash shook the onlooker.
None of the witnesses wished to have their comments attributed to their name. Some feared reprisal for speaking out, while others were abiding by the wishes of Leass’ family on the mainland, who were seeking legal representation.
The Virgin Islands Police Department said Sunday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was investigating the death; however, Leass’ sister said she was contacted by VIPD on Monday. The U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection did not respond to several requests for comment until Wednesday morning, when they issued a short statement acknowledging the fatal crash.
“On May 2, 2026, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Coastal Interceptor Vessel was involved in an accident with a small dinghy near Hulover Cut, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, during a border security patrol. The sole occupant of the dinghy was transported to a hospital but passed away. CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, U.S. Coast Guard, and NTSB are investigating the incident.”
Originally from Lima, Ohio, Leass moved to the Virgin Islands more than 25 years ago, quickly assembling a broad group of friends. Many of those friends were now pressing for answers about his death.
While questions about the accident remain unanswered, some rumors could be dispelled, according to self-identifying eyewitnesses. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor. Leass did not drink alcohol at all, his friends confirmed, and at least one eyewitness said the CBP boat was doing its normal patrol — and not a floating party as some online have suggested.
The question of whether either boat was using running lights remains open. Leass was an experienced boater who prided himself on safety, often seeking out the brightest lights possible for visibility at night, said Stephen InDelicato, who described Shawn as his best friend.
“He doesn’t drink. He never drank,” said InDelicato, who wanted to know if the CBP vessel had on running lights and if its operators underwent toxicology screening after the crash. “And he was particular about his flashlight being the brightest. He was very meticulous.”
If the CBP boat sped through the Hulover Cut for a good reason, he said, “then hey, it’s a horrible accident. But my opinion is, they were probably hotdogging.”
“I’m upset,” InDelicato said. “This is tragic. He shouldn’t have died.”
Leass lived aboard his 36-foot sailboat, Freya, off Water Island for a while but may have taken an apartment in recent years. He made fast friends with the closely-knit community. Although a teetotaler, he was a long-standing star of the St. Thomas open-mic night bar scene.
Tim West, host of Rock The Open Mic at Bluebeard’s Castle, met Leass more than a decade ago when he was hosting an open mic at Tickles. Leass would sit in the audience, clap, sing along, and tip big.
“Each week, he would give us, you know, a, like, $20 tip and just appreciated the music,” West said. “And then one day he brought his guitar in. And I’m like, ‘OK. You you playing?’”
Somewhat reserved in the audience, Leass evolved as a showman week after week at the open mic, to where he would take the stage with his black Stratocaster and shout his signature, “Y’all ready to rock ’n roll?” before launching into classic rock heavies by Steppenwolf or Led Zeppelin, West said.
“So he would crank through his songs. But he had this ‘electric’ about him where the place could have, you know, ten people in it, and he would play like there was a thousand,” West said. “And everybody would just cheer when he first started. So he was a bit of a character, you know, a really nice guy.”
West had tried to keep the Tickles engagements to a lower volume so as not to upset boaters nearby. But there was no suppressing Leass. West said Rock The Open Mic held a session in Leass’ honor recently.
“He was a super dude. He was loved by a lot of people,” he said.
Priscilla Lynn, founder of events group Street Level VI, said Leass was two different people on and off stage
“He was the Clark Kent of music,” Lynn said. “He was this quiet, mild-mannered, very shy kinda guy. And then he’d get on stage, and he’d totally become the Superman of rock ’n roll. His enthusiasm, when he got on stage, was just a total conversion of personality.”
Lynn said she’s learned much more about Leass since his death, as his community of friends share stories about his life.
“It’s such a tragedy and such a loss, but it also brings people closer together,” she said.
No law enforcement agency has yet officially announced Leass as the victim of Saturday night’s crash. He wasn’t on social media. And there’s hardly a mention of him on the internet before Saturday. That uncluttered existence seems to be by design.
“He moved to the Virgin Islands from Ohio, got himself a boat, and just lived the life,” InDelicato said.
Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected; it is Hulover Cut, not Haulover.
