Johannesburg - A South African man has been held in Trinidad for a week, after a yacht he was supposed to work on abandoned him when problems emerged with his visa.
He has spent a week in the country, most of the time locked in a hotel room.
Trinidad authorities told him he would return to South Africa this weekend. They took him to the airport, but he was turned away.
Anthony Knowles left Cape Town for the Caribbean island to work as a crew member on a yacht last week, according to his sister, Sharon Knowles.
He was apparently told by the captain of the yacht that he could apply for a visa when he arrived in the country, only to find that the visa would take 20 days to be processed.
Knowles went on the yacht because he was doing a skippers course and was hoping the trip would give him some experience.
Sharon said the captain told him the yacht could not wait this long and left with the rest of the crew.
She has been in contact with her brother, who she said isn’t allowed to talk on the phone but has access to Facebook.
She has contacted the High Commission in Trinidad in an effort to get her brother back.
Clayson Monyela, spokesman for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation, said he would investigate.
The Star