P&O Oceana - Shot holidaymaker continues trip

**Ally** · 02-06-2008, 09:14 AM

Quote:

A man who was shot on holiday for his £7,000 Rolex watch has told how he carried on with his Caribbean cruise.

Swansea taxi driver Steve Storton, 53, was blasted at point blank range on a resort island off Venezeula.

The bullet missed his heart and came out of his back. After treatment in a local hospital, Mr Storton rejoined the ship for the five-day journey home.

A man was later arrested after a car chase which saw one policeman killed and another wounded.

Father-of-three Mr Storton was attacked in the final minutes of his last trip ashore during the 14-day cruise aboard the P&O liner Oceana with his wife Sue, 57.

The pair were preparing to return to the vessel after two hours on the island of Margarita.

Mr Storton had just bought a couple of fizzy drinks from a kiosk when he felt someone standing next to him.

Recovering at home in Brymelyn, he told the BBC News website: "I just happened to turn around. That's when he put the gun at my chest.

"He said 'give me the watch or I will kill you'. He just didn't care.

"I said 'No, don't be so daft' then he pulled the trigger.

"I moved very quick. If I hadn't moved, I wouldn't be talking to you now."

"Then, with the butt of the gun, he hit me on the head and knocked me to ground.

"I fell against these table and chairs and he was still firing at me. He missed me when I was on the floor."

Witnesses report the robber fired two shots at Mr Storton before fleeing with the watch to a waiting car and accomplice.

A number of police are said to have given chase. The getaway car was caught in traffic and the gunman continued shooting, killing one policeman and wounding another before he was captured.

'Killing'

Mr Storton added: "He didn't care about killing me and he didn't care about killing the policeman.

"The police said this was the first killing of a police officer and the first shooting of a tourist."

Mr Storton said was wearing the watch, which his wife had bought him for a present 10 years ago, because he did not want to lose track of time ahead of the liner's departure.

"We were virtually coming home. I didn't feel intimidated at all. Otherwise I would have taken the watch off straight away."

BBC NEWS | Wales | South West Wales | Shot holidaymaker continues trip