After two Central Kentucky women claim they were assaulted at a resort in the Bahamas over the weekend, they are thanking a nurse practitioner from Arkansas for being by their side in the aftermath.
Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson told LEX 18 on Tuesday that they made a stop on Grand Bahama during a Carnival cruise over the weekend.
After taking a taxi to a local resort in Freeport, they allege their cocktails were drugged and resort staff members sexually assaulted them the morning of Feb. 4.
Ladonna Batty, a family nurse practitioner from Arkansas who was also on the women's cruise, happened to be in the area at the time the women were found incoherent.
"I got my phone out and immediately started charting everything, documenting everything I'd seen," Batty said.
At the time, Batty did not even know Shearer and Dobson's names, but was horrified by the women's conditions.
"Had it not been for Ladonna advocating for us, I don't know what would have happened," Shearer said.
Shearer and Dobson shared photos of preliminary drug tests that showed positive results for benzodiazepines, among other drugs. The women also have bruising up and down their legs.
"Out of my 20-odd years of practicing, it was the worst scene that I had ever had to work. It was a horrible situation for both girls," Batty said.
She added she believes, without a doubt, the women had been assaulted and were under the influence of drugs.
"Anybody should be able to go on vacation and have a drink or have a Coca Cola and take some pictures and not get brutally assaulted," she said.
A press release shared to Facebook by Royal Bahamas Police confirmed two men were arrested early Sunday for alleged sexual assault of two women, and that an investigation is underway.
Management at Pirates Cove Zipline and Water Park, the resort at which the alleged incident occurred, released a statement on Thursday, affirming they are cooperating with authorities in the investigation.
They added the two staff members involved in the incident have been terminated, writing:
"We take great pride in ensuring our guests have a safe and enjoyable experience when visiting Pirates Cove. In addition to having safety personnel and CCTV surveillance throughout the park, employees and vendors of Pirates Cove must follow strict guidelines when interacting with guests. We have a zero-tolerance policy for fraternizing with guests or behaving in a manner that is unsafe.
While there is an active police investigation into these serious allegations, we have terminated the employment of the two accused, as the behavior seen on tape by management indicates that at a minimum, they violated our zero-tolerance policy."
Management added that their review of the surveillance videos conflict with the allegations and that they "strongly encourage all concerned parties to make sure all facts are considered before reaching a conclusion."
The U.S. Department of State issued a "level 2" travel advisory for the Bahamas on Jan. 26 due to crime in the country. The department credits violent crime, including armed robberies and sexual assaults in both tourist and non-tourist areas.
Shearer and Dobson said they were not made aware of the travel advisory until after the alleged assaults had taken place.
