By Charminae George
A coroner’s inquest into last week’s double-drowning of a mother and son at Devil’s Bridge begins today at 8.30am.
It will take place at the Barnes Funeral Home on Lower Newgate Street.
A spokesperson for the High Commission of Canada confirmed that officials are currently liaising with local authorities.
“We are aware of the Canadians who passed in Antigua and Barbuda and are in contact with local authorities. Consular officials continue to monitor the situation closely, are engaging with local authorities and providing consular assistance,” she stated.
On the morning of November 30, the Canadian family of three—who were staying at an Airbnb in Seatons—journeyed to the popular attraction to watch the sunrise, hours before they were due to fly home.
Tragedy struck when a wave caused 37-year-old Mohini Misra and her five-year-old son, Shray Misra, to fall into the choppy water.
Mohini’s husband, Satwik Misra, who had been a short distance away, laid stomach first on the rocky terrain in an effort to pull them to safety. During the process, however, he lost his wife’s grip.
Subsequently, the 37-year-old finance professional jumped into the water, despite not knowing how to swim, and was eventually rescued by passing joggers.
The bodies of the mother and son were recovered later that morning by the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard, and other emergency personnel, approximately one hour apart.
This drowning incident is the second one for the year at Devil’s Bridge. The first was that of a 68-year-old Canadian man on April 8. The tragedies have triggered calls for improved safety at the site.