(CMR) The Cayman Islands Coast Guard has confirmed that after searching unsuccessfully for a Sri Lankan national who went overboard Monday evening they are calling off the search for the day. When they resume in the morning the mission will become a search and recovery mission.
The West Bay resident who is a chef at a local hotel was out on a party boat on Monday and fell overboard somewhere in the North Sound between Star Fish Point and Governors Harbor shortly before 7:20 pm. It took a few minutes for anyone to notice that he was missing before contacting 911.
He was on board the Tortuga that had over 40 people on board. He was last seen wearing a blue top, khaki Capri shorts and a white hat.
A search and rescue effort was immediately undertaken and then resumed on Tuesday morning at 6:00 am with assistance from the RCIPS and the public. Commander Robert Scotland spoke about the difficulties of carrying out a nighttime rescue this morning on The Cold Hard Truth sharing that “light is our friend and darkness is not”.
Numerous private vessels participated in the operation.
Despite their best efforts, they have not been successful in locating him. As a result, when the mission resumes on Wednesday morning they will be looking to recover his body or any personal items. The search will entail the use of surface swimmers in tandem with surface vessels to search for any items that can be seen on the ocean floor.
They are happy to have ongoing support and assistance from the public. Anyone willing to assist can call 649-6722.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid