Police say they have transitioned from a search-and-rescue mission to search and recover, now that they have crossed the 72-hour mark in a prolonged search for three men missing at sea.
The men, who were all aboard a now-capsized vessel, are thought to have fallen overboard in the North Sound sometime in the early morning hours of Friday, 22 April.
In a press release issued earlier today (Monday, 25 April), a police spokesperson said two life vests were recovered from the mangroves in the vicinity of Uncle Bob Road, “however, these have been determined not to be related to the missing men”.
In the initial stage of the search, a 35-year-old Jamaican man was fished from the sea after he was found adrift with several packages of ganja. During that search, police say they also recovered several other packages of ganja, weighing a total of 945 pounds.
“The recovered packages are being forensically processed and will subsequently be scheduled for destruction,” said the spokesperson.
Rough seas hamper search efforts
An upper-level trough which was over the Cayman area throughout the weekend generated rough seas with waves of 4 to 5 feet.
Cayman Islands Coast Guard Commander Robert Scotland said the bad weather hampered their search efforts.
“Due to the sea conditions and the time elapsed since they first entered the water, it is unlikely that the men will be found alive, however we remain hopeful,” Scotland said in the press release.
Rescued man charged with ganja offences
Police said the man who was rescued Friday afternoon has since been released from the Cayman Islands Hospital, after which he was arrested and formally charged with illegal landing and importation of ganja. He was due to make an initial Summary Court appearance Monday.
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