STT charter captain remembered for heroism following fatal crash

ST. THOMAS — In the aftermath of a horrific boat crash that killed 39-year-old Stephen Cross Jr., his fiancé Caitie Rosko is sharing his story to spread awareness about speeding in mooring fields, in the hope of preventing a future tragedy.

“He was just the biggest gem of a human,” Rosko said in an interview with The Daily News. “He changed not just my life, but everyone that he came in contact with.” For nearly a decade, Cross and Rosko built an extraordinary life as experienced charter industry professionals living on St. Thomas. When it came to his career as a captain, Rosko said Cross had a reputation for not taking any risks. “He was always the safety guy, ‘Slow is pro,’ was his motto,” Rosko said. “He had zero ego in that sense.”

In late November, they were each captaining separate catamarans around the British Virgin Islands — Rosko entertaining friends, and Cross working to give paying guests the vacation of a lifetime. They met up in Anegada before going their separate ways, and Rosko headed home while Cross continued on to the North Sound. Two days later, on Nov. 22, Cross and his guests were on a dinghy headed in to the small island of Saba Rock for happy hour and a fun evening. While she was miles away at the time, Rosko said the guests have reached out to her and recounted what happened that night.