The story is a bit odd, which leads me to understand why the boat and crew were held. In a valid medical emergency like that, only the sick person and perhaps one assisting would be allowed off the boat, without their belongings or passports. But it seems all of them got off, along with their belongings and papers (otherwise that would have been mentioned). On passage the skipper invariably keeps the paperwork and passports together between outbound and inbound formalities are completed. I've tried raising the police or customs or immigration in the BVI via VHF several times out of hours and never once received a response, so I do believe that part of the story. No mention of where they got off, but the captain doesn't seem to have contacted the police in a timely manner.