The Cayman Islands Coast Guard has taken over operational responsibility for the search-and-recovery efforts for missing journalist Andrel Harris.
The agency took over the search from police on Wednesday, as efforts to locate Harris continued at sea.
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will continue its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Harris, who was last seen Tuesday, 3 June.
The sea search-and-recovery operation to find Harris resumed Wednesday morning, around 9:40am, after it was suspended Tuesday due to rough sea conditions.
A statement issued by the Cayman Islands Coast Guard Wednesday said it had deployed two vessels, two jet skis and divers, as well as aerial and underwater drones to search along what was described as “high priority areas of the coastline”, Sub-Lieutenant Erika Rockett-McBean of the Cayman Islands Coast Guard said in the statement.
“These locations were selected based on the positions where items had previously been recovered, as well as environmental analysis of wave and current patterns to determine the likely movement of objects in and under the water,” she said.
To date, an area of 12.25 square miles of sea and shoreline has been searched, the coast guard said.
In the latest update Wednesday, which described challenging conditions, including strong currents, Rockett-McBean noted that no items of interest had been recovered.
“Weather conditions have played a critical role throughout the operation – at times limiting visibility, affecting asset deployment, and requiring short-term pauses for safety. Despite these challenges, teams have remained focused, adaptable, and committed to conducting a safe and thorough operation,” she said.
The coast guard statement noted that an assessment of conditions and findings from Wednesday’s search was under way, and a review of forecasted sea state and other factors that impact the likelihood of locating or recovering further items would be carried out Thursday.
The last known sighting of Harris was on Tuesday, 3 June, around 9:30pm, when an image of him was captured on CCTV walking along Pedro Castle Road toward Pedro St. James. Police issued a missing person advisory the following day, after he failed to attend work.
Since then, extensive searches, involving multiple agencies and members of the public, as well as coast guard and private boats, have been carried out.
On Sunday, following four days of searches, the operation to locate Harris transitioned from search and rescue to search and recovery.
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