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Kirsty MacColl’s tragic last words during boat accident that killed her

Home> Entertainment> Celebrity

Published 20:22 22 Dec 2025 GMT

Kirsty MacColl’s tragic last words during boat accident that killed her

Her youngest son Louis was just 13 years old when he witnessed his mother's 'graphic' death

Olivia Burke

Olivia Burke

The son of late singer Kirsty MacColl revealed the final words she uttered before she was tragically killed when a speedboat careered into her.

The 41-year-old's life was cut short on 18 December, 2000, after a family diving trip turned deadly in Cozumel, Mexico.

A quarter of a century on from Kirsty's untimely passing, the man who was driving the boat - Jose Cen Yam - has now spoken out about the deadly incident.

Breaking his 25-year silence, the former deckhand has shared his side of the story, while insisting that he has told 'the truth' about what happened all along.

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Cen Yam claimed that he was travelling 'at about five miles an hour' and 'didn’t see anyone in the water' when he manoeuvred the boat into the area where Kirsty and her kids were diving.

Despite watercraft being restricted from entering this spot, he insists the incident that took the 'Fairytale of New York' singer's life was 'an accident', saying: "I don't feel it was my fault."

Detailing the moment that he realised the speedboat had struck something, Cen Yam told the Mail on Sunday: "I heard a propeller make a very strange noise.

The late star pictured with fellow 'Fairytale of New York' singer Shane MacGowan in 1994 (Patrick Ford/Redferns)
The late star pictured with fellow 'Fairytale of New York' singer Shane MacGowan in 1994 (Patrick Ford/Redferns)

"It was really weird, a whirring like something hit it," he said. "There was no bang in the boat, just the noise of a propeller doing this weird stuff. I thought, 'I've gone over something'.

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"So I slowed and went to the back of the boat and I saw her there. She was definitely dead. There was nothing I could do to save her life."

Kirsty's son's recollection of that fateful day is even more harrowing - as her youngest child, Louis, has previously spoken out about the 'traumatic' memories he has of it.

Although 'a lot of what happened is still a blur' and he 'doesn't really remember too much', he explained that he has had to undergo 'a lot of therapy' to help him deal with it.

While diving in the Chankanaab reef, Louis and his late mother were the first to surface - while his brother Jamie, then 15, and Kirsty's boyfriend James Knight followed behind them.

As Kirsty spotted the speedboat veering towards them, she bravely pushed her eldest son out of the way.

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Kirsty MacColl's son Louis has spoken out about what he remembers from that fateful day in 2000 (Kerstin Rodgers/Redferns)
Kirsty MacColl's son Louis has spoken out about what he remembers from that fateful day in 2000 (Kerstin Rodgers/Redferns)

Both Kirsty and Jamie were struck by one of the vessel's propellers, but he only suffered minor injuries, as his oxygen tank sustained most of the blow.

However, his mum suffered serious injuries to her head and chest, which killed her almost instantly.

Louis, who was only 13 years old at the time, previously revealed the last words he heard his mother say before the boat driven by Cen Yam hit her.

"She suddenly screamed, 'Look out!' and tried to push us out of the way," he recalled. "The boat was already over us - I could see the propellers.

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"I was swimming in Mummy's blood. I screamed that she'd been hit, and to swim the other way and not look back."

Speaking to the Daily Express in November, Louis revealed how he still experiences 'flashbacks' of the 'graphic' incident that killed his mother.

The mother-of-two pushed her sons out of the path of the speedboat as it headed towards them (Patrick Ford/Redferns)
The mother-of-two pushed her sons out of the path of the speedboat as it headed towards them (Patrick Ford/Redferns)

He said: "I can’t remember the exact details of that trip to Mexico, but I can remember being in the water and thinking, ‘Where’s Jamie?’

"He and I have spoken about it from time to time and I still have flashbacks. It was and is so graphic. We could only have been in the water a few minutes afterwards before they got us out.

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"I don't really remember too much."

He explained he didn't feel comfortable 'talking to a stranger about the worst thing that has happened to you' as a teenager, but later found solace in therapy sessions when he grew up.

"Later on though my 20s, I was seeing patterns of behaviour in myself and decided I should try it," Louis went on. "I have had a lot of therapy since and that has helped."

He explained he was left with a fear of swimming, diving and boats in wake of the tragedy, but has now managed to overcome this.

"I have even been snorkelling again and driven a boat," Louis added. "Mum really loved the sea and she would have been gutted if I was missing out on a beautiful thing."

Featured Image Credit: Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images

Topics: Celebrity, Parenting, Celebrity News, Music, World News

Olivia Burke
Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

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@livburke_

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