The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

TANYA Nicola Gilbert woke up to an empty driveway and a gnawing sense that something was wrong.

Her 24-year-old son, Dudley Gilbert Jr, had left their Brinkhill Road home in Grand Bahama around 8pm on Saturday, April 5, to pick up food. He never returned. Now, days later, with official search efforts suspended, Ms Gilbert continues to plead for help finding her son — and refuses to give up hope.

"I feel confident, because where there's no body, there's hope, you know, so as long as I don't see something physical, I'm quite sure my son is alive," she told The Tribune yesterday.

Mr Gilbert was last seen driving his mother’s vehicle, which was later found near a beach site where his late father once operated a water sports business.

A video posted online shows a man, believed to be Mr Gilbert, paddling a white kayak away from Lucaya Beach toward Pinder's Point. According to information gathered by the family, he later stopped at a bakery to buy something to eat before returning to the kayak.

“The mere fact that he did that indicated to me that he was in his right frame of mind, the fact that he just went to the bakery and got the bread and went back to the kayak,” Ms Gilbert said, expressing that this small act gave her some comfort that her son was not in immediate distress.

She believes the loss of his father a year and a half ago may have taken an emotional toll.

“He was really battling through his thought process, and that was his way of grieving, you know, so that may have taken a toll," she said. "He was treated in the early part of the grievances, and he was doing well again."

The family secured an air rescue flight on Monday and visited four beaches in the days following his disappearance. Ms Gilbert has issued a public plea to all boaters, jet skiers, and merchant vessels to remain alert and look out for any signs of her son.

Ms Gilbert said the experience has been especially difficult as a single mother, noting that Dudley is her only biological son. She expressed gratitude for the support of her mother and siblings during this challenging time.

In an emotional message to the public, she encouraged families to cherish their loved ones and show support, especially as many silently struggle with mental health challenges.

“I just want to say that if you have love one to always remember to say that I love you and give them a big help, because people are going through a lot," she said. "People are going through a lot mentally.”

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force has since suspended the search for the missing kayaker after extensive efforts yielded no results. A statement released on their Facebook page confirmed that aerial reconnaissance teams and ground search parties covered areas including Pinder’s Point, Eight Mile Rock, Deadman’s Reef and surrounding locations. Surface assets from the Defence and Police Forces, as well as BASRA Northern Bahamas, were also involved in the operation.

Adverse weather conditions hindered air search operations. The RBDF reported that despite the extensive efforts, no signs of the missing man were found, and, in the absence of new actionable intelligence, active search operations have been suspended pending further developments. The RBDF continues to liaise with local pilots and encourages anyone with relevant information to come forward.