By Tahna Weston and Kisean Joseph
[email protected] / [email protected]
The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Coast Guard has been contacted to assist in a search and rescue operation for a missing fire officer, John Lee, from neighbouring Montserrat.
Officials here say they are monitoring the situation after being formally notified a few days ago, and pledge to do their best to offer assistance to regional partners in helping to find Lee.
According to reports, Lee — who is reportedly diabetic — embarked on a solo fishing trip onboard the MV Optimum about 6:30am on Wednesday. However, neither he nor the white, 30-foot long fishing boat, owned by Sheldon Carty, has been seen.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) out of Martinique is also assisting in the coordinated search efforts along with the Coast Guard from neighbouring St Kitts.
Beach and inlets around the British small island territory have been searched as concerns for the safety of the man, who failed to return from his expedition, mount.
Search parties are trying to get a visual inspection of everywhere he could be, with helicopter searches and service provider Flow providing updates as relates to his telephone location.
Officials on Montserrat say Lee last used his phone at about 1:30pm at a location 20 degrees to the southern part of the island, then it had a rapid shutdown and now goes straight to voicemail.
They are worried that the large gap between the time he left the island and the commencement of the search about 9pm later that day could pose some issues, especially as he would require his medication being a diabetic and could run into serious health challenges.
Commissioner Mark Payne of the Montserrat Police Force said Lee’s phone could have “run out of energy or slipped overboard” but there is hope that he could have made it to shore safely somewhere on the island.
“So lots of people out there searching but of course our best hope is that he has actually made it to shore but because of his condition might be incapacitated. So we have police officers doing a physical search of the whole coastline of the island, but of course our best weapon sometimes in these occasions is the general public.
“If any member of the general public has seen John Lee…if anybody sees a boat floating offshore or if anybody sees a boat on the beach please contact us straight away. We much rather have false reports that we can check out rather than somebody having information that is not made available to us,” Commissioner Payne said.
Even as Lee is trained in search and rescue and also has the skills to help him to survive, residents of the small island nation are praying for his safe recovery.
