The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force has revealed that aerial and submersible drones as well as RBDF divers are being used in search activities for a missing jet skier.

In a release yesterday, the RBDF gave an update on the search and explained the agency’s actions since the man went missing on Sunday.

Although police have not officially identified the victim, family members and friends said he is 28-year-old Drew Rigby.

Police reported that sometime around 7pm on Sunday, officers received reports of a boating accident that happened in the area of Rose Island involving a 26ft boat and a personal watercraft.

Initial investigations revealed that six people were on the boat while two people were on the jet ski when they collided. The male driver of the jet ski received leg injuries while his male passenger was ejected into the ocean and is still missing.

The RBDF said initial search efforts continued until after 9pm when night conditions and the weather made it hard to carry on. The search picked up the next day.

“As there is an ongoing search effort for the missing individual unaccounted for after a jet ski collided with another vessel shortly after 7pm on Sunday, July 12, 2021, the RBDF along with BASRA, a sport fish and marine tow vessel and assets provided by the family are currently involved with the effort,” the RBDF said yesterday.

“On being alerted to the incident shortly after 7pm, units from the Harbour Patrol Unit (HPU) were dispatched, where they conducted a search of the area until after 9pm, when nightfall and the weather made it difficult to continue. Therefore, the search was suspended until first light the following day.

“On Monday at about 6.23 am, the HPU resumed its search. To aid in the search, RBDF divers were also deployed. The search continued throughout the day until about 5pm where it was postponed due to unfavourable weather. On Tuesday, the HPU reconvened the search of the area. In addition to RBDF divers, aerial and submersible drones were also deployed to assist in the search effort. These activities continued until nightfall, and (were) postponed until first light the following day.

“This morning search activities resumed at about 7am, where assets from the HPU, RBDF divers, aerial and submersible drones, along with BASRA and civilian vessels provided by the family are presently conducting a search of the area.”

This comes after National Security Minister Marvin Dames defended the RBDF on Tuesday when he was asked to respond to reports that the force suspended their search efforts because they did not have the relevant equipment.

“We are equipped to search. Remember now, we’re a nation of over 100,000 square miles of sea with the assistance of some of the greatest power throughout this world. Sometimes you’re searching for persons and vessels and you don’t find it. Sometimes you’re fortunate enough to locate them all right and so I will have to look at that,” Mr Dames said on Tuesday.

“We have access to the underwater drones. ZNS was there when we ran the tests on the drones months ago. They’re still in the testing phases. They’re still in the training phases, but the submersible is available for use but where are you going to put it? What are you suggesting? I mean again, this is a nation of over 100,00 square miles of sea and you know you have to act on the information that you have and work within that framework. I mean just putting a drone, a submersible out there, you have to know where you’re putting it and why?”