Update: 11am, Saturday, 7 June: The Cayman Islands Coast Guard on Saturday morning said it was not accepting volunteer divers for the day’s ongoing search for missing journalist Andrel Harris due to safety concerns and current sea conditions.
However, the coast guard stated it was accepting offers of assistance from private boats.
As well as ongoing land, sea and aerial searches, an underwater drone has been deployed.
Volunteer searchers gathered Saturday morning at the Savannah United Church to take part in grid and line searches along the ironshore coastline at Pedro St. James as efforts to find 34-year-old Compass Media journalist Harris continued. He was reported missing on Wednesday, 4 June.
Boaters who wish to take part in the search can contact 946-6722 or 649-7877 or channel 24 via VHF.
Earlier story: A multi-agency search for missing Compass Media journalist Andrel Harris continued on Friday, with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the Cayman Islands Coast Guard and volunteers from the public combining in a coordinated effort.
In the afternoon on Friday, police confirmed that an item of clothing belonging to Harris had been recovered.
The RCIPS, in a statement issued shortly before midday, said the clothing, which had been spotted in the water during searches on Thursday, had been recovered and examined by police. An item belonging to Harris was found within, police said.
Harris, 34, was last seen in the vicinity of Pedro Castle Road, Bodden Town, at approximately 9:30pm, on Tuesday, 3 June.
After he failed to attend work on Wednesday, police were contacted and an investigation into his disappearance began.
Ground, aerial and coastal searches conducted in the Pedro St. James area began on Wednesday.
Hazard Management Cayman Islands partially activated the National Emergency Operations Centre on Thursday, which included coordinating efforts of some of its emergency support teams. These included community emergency response teams, first aid services by the Red Cross, a call centre for volunteer coordination, and CayMind/Mental Health support.
The Cayman Islands Baptist Church, located on Pedro Castle Road, was made available and utilised as a command centre. Several teams, including emergency workers and members of the public, conducted grid and lined searches, which included door-to-door checks. Additional information was also garnered from CCTV footage.
When he was last seen on Pedro Castle Road walking south toward Pedro St. James, Harris was wearing a dark blue shirt with sleeves rolled up and black pants. He is approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall, of slim build, with a dark brown complexion, and has long, neatly kept dreadlocks.
The coast guard conducted search operations on the ocean and used data from the Cayman Islands National Weather Service to refine key areas. This included the use of underwater equipment, which aided visual searches.
The RCIPS Air Operations Unit helicopter and drone operators — both private and associated with the Cayman Islands government — coordinated with the RCIPS drone team to enhance the search capability in wide-scale areas.
Police request that anyone who has seen Harris since Tuesday afternoon, or knows of his whereabouts, to call 911 or the Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220.
Compass Media statement:
“Andrel is a cherished member of our Compass team, and we are praying for his safe return.
“We have been working closely with the RCIPS as the search continues. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Andrel and his loved ones during this difficult time.
“We encourage anyone in the public who may have information to please contact the police using the details below.
“We are deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of the RCIPS, Andrel’s family, friends and the wider community. We will continue to support the search in every way we can, while respecting the privacy of his family and assisting the authorities.”
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