Missing Andrel: A trailblazing Caymanian journalist, beloved friend and colleague

The faces in the search party told their own story.

Current and former colleagues, old school friends, close and distant relatives, men and women of all ages and nationalities, people from the streets and a few from the corridors of power. The great and the good of Cayman society were out in force to join the search for Andrel Harris.

Some only know him as a face on their television or mobile device screens, a voice on the radio or as a byline in the newspaper. Others know him as a colleague, a friend, a brother, a son and a father.

It can seem at times that there are few things that unite all of us in Cayman Islands. But the search for our missing colleague brought people together in grief and worry, in hope, and in prayer.

We still don’t know what has happened to Andrel.

We do know that he hasn’t been seen since last Tuesday evening; that CCTV footage captured his image walking towards Pedro St. James and that items of clothing belonging to him were found in the water off that coastline.

But, for now, there is no closure.

In the absence of clear facts, speculation has filled the void. That’s not something we want to fuel or engage in. With time, the full truth may emerge. Or maybe it won’t.

What we can say without fear of contradiction is that Andrel is a beloved member of this community and a respected figure in this and every newsroom he has worked in since he took his first steps into this profession.

He worked first at Cayman 27 television station, where he cut his teeth as a trainee reporter, before going on to Radio Cayman, the Cayman Compass and, briefly, the government communications department, before returning to Compass Media to work on its new TV channel.

From gang shootings and hurricanes to COVID-19 press conferences and court proceedings, he was often first on the scene of the major events in Cayman over the past decade.

Sir Alden McLaughlin was premier for eight years of Andrel’s career and watched his growth with pride, even when he was, at times, on the wrong side of his questioning. He describes Andrel as one of Cayman’s “favourite sons”.

McLaughlin added, “As one of a very small cadre of Caymanians working in media, he was very much a flag-bearer, and he seemed to recognise that responsibility.

“He was always prepared, well turned out, and unfailingly respectful and polite, but still he never shrank from asking the uncomfortable questions.

I watched his growth as a journalist and admired him immensely,” he said.

The esteem in which he is held transcends political eras. Current Premier André Ebanks said Harris embodies the “highest ideals of public service in the Cayman Islands”.

He added, “His passion, integrity, and dedication strengthened the bond between government and the people of the Cayman Islands.”

A dedicated journalist and loyal friend

Ben Meade, who was news director at Cayman 27 and a mentor and father figure to Andrel throughout his career, shares that sense of pride.

“Over the years, he’s become more than someone I once hired, with our relationship blossoming into kinship to the point that he often refers to himself as my first ‘son’. Andrel’s instinct and intuition for a story worthy of being told is not easily rivalled.

“His growth as a journalist and the respect he’s garnered from his peers and the community is a testament to his relentless pursuit to perfect his craft.”

April Cummings, who was general manager of broadcast at WestStar TV and later worked closely with Andrel as news director at Radio Cayman, echoed those sentiments.

“There are no words to truly express the love and admiration I have for Andrel. There has been no one I have trusted more with telling the truth, asking the hard questions and bearing the burden of being a newsgatherer, storyteller and journalist.

“As a young Caymanian male, he has faced many struggles yet continued to bring a unique perspective, wisdom and insight to every interaction with me and countless others not just through his work, but in his relationships with all of us. The impact he has had is immeasurable.”

As he grew in his career, Andrel also became a mentor in his own right – an ‘older brother’ and inspiration to a generation of young journalists.

Seeing a young Caymanian man on their screens and in their newspaper made their own aspirations seem more achievable.

Even for his experienced peers, he has been generous with his talents, coaxing many of those in the print world to go on camera for the first time and sharing his enormous community contacts to help tell stories that other reporters could not reach.

More recently, he juggled studying for a law degree with covering courts, where he was popular and widely respected.

Chief Justice Margaret Ramsay-Hale joined the prayers and messages of support, describing Andrel as a “gifted journalist” who helped explain complex legal cases and issues in a way that regular people could readily understand.

“His work helped to draw many Caymanians into public conversation and awareness of current affairs,” she said.

The chief justice added that she had looked forward to seeing him appear before her as a lawyer.

“Having known Andrel since his late teens, I was pleased, as chairman of the Legal Council, to be on hand to witness his graduation from the Truman Bodden Law School with his Bachelor of Laws conferred by the University of Liverpool, and the promise it held for his future at the Bar,” she added.

A brief stint at government communications gave him insight into the other side of the news-making machine.

His former colleagues in government said they were “deeply saddened” by the disappearance of a respected journalist who had a longstanding relationship with the communications team – both as a media partner and, more recently, as a team member in the public relations unit.

“He brought exceptional intellect, critical thinking skills, and a versatile approach to his work. His thoughtful insights were beautifully balanced by his wit and humour – qualities that endeared him to all his colleagues,” the communications team said in a joint statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Andrel’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

At the time of his disappearance, Andrel had returned to news media with the emergence of Compass TV.

Wherever he has worked, Andrel has been beloved not just in the newsroom, but by the engineers, the administrators, the salespeople, the warehouse staff, the cleaners and the receptionists.

The photos sent across by current and former colleagues tell their own story. Andrel enjoying a deserved drink with the all-night election crew; celebrating a dominoes victory; laughing through an impromptu arm-wrestling match with Seaford Russell Jr. in the newsroom.

He has a serious side, too. Known to be a deep thinker, he expressed aspirations to go out on his own, digging deeper on the stories that really painted a picture of Cayman as it is and as it could be.

As a journalist, he felt he had covered enough car crashes and crime scenes. He had been starting to ask more serious questions about where the islands are headed and what kind of country he wants his young daughter to grow up in.

The kinds of issues he covered influenced his world view and drove him to consider his place in Cayman and how he could make it better, whether in law, journalism, politics or something else.

If he ever doubted how loved and respected he is across these islands, the esteem in which he is held has become obvious since he went missing.

We only wish and hope that he knows this.