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Active search for missing snorkeler discontinued

The Police Marine Base on Tortola. (Photo Credit: RDA)

The active search for the visitor who recently went missing while snorkelling in BVI waters last Monday has been discontinued.

Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) gave that indication in a media release on Tuesday, November 2.

“The active search concluded on Sunday, October 31. However, the RVIPF Marine Unit will continue to be vigilant while on patrols and is also asking all mariners to keep an eye out while on the water in an effort to locate the missing snorkeler,” the RVIPF stated.

The missing snorkeler, whose identity the police released as 75-year-old Dennis Yuki Enomoto of Canada, was among a group of persons that was snorkelling near Cooper Island.

He was last seen while the group was in the water, but when the others returned to the boat, Enomoto did not.

“A search of the boat, surrounding waters, nearby vessels and on Cooper Island itself turned up nothing. Police and VISAR expanded searches to include the Sir Francis Drake Channel and many shorelines but to date, he has not been found,” the police said.

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  1. He who lacks knowledge . says:

    He who lacks knowledge will surely perish needlessly.

    The BVI, as well as other tropical environments is a swimmer’s paradise but, that inviting, enticing turquoise and deep blue water has its perils, for novices, weak swimmers and the uninformed.

    Warning: The Atlantic currents that flow through these Islands/Cays can be very deadly. Take the lightly not.

    Note: the (local/local) now with generations of genetic memory, will not be found swimming, snorkeling or diving on certain proximities of a given Cay, whether on the Northern or Southern ones.

    There has been to many deaths of unknowledgeable tourist. They become enamored with the stunning beauty, and they are not given any precautionary guidelines, relative to the deadly currents that journey through the BVI by way of the Atlantic.

    On any given day, those currents will take away the strongest of swimmers, period! Venture to far out there on a day when those currents are angry and your ass is grass, period! During the hurricane months especially, their power and strength increase exponentially.

    Hence, tourist must be given a set of guidelines regarding snorkeling around the outer Cays, which should include distance from shore, which side of a particular island no to t snorkel on without expert accompaniment.

    I share from informed, on the ground knowledge and experience. At a very young age, my granddad schooled me about those dangers, being the fearless human fish that I was. No concrete jungle was native was I. I was born in and lived in that environment. The continental and European well, they will think themselves superior until the real supreme shows the who is boss.

    As such, swimming around those Cays should not be done without prior knowledge of where and where not, how far from land, etc., one should venture.

    Hence, the time is now past due for the tourist board and government to bring their knowledge of the dangers of snorkeling and or diving up to 21st century realities, collect the info/facts, package them, and disseminate them nationally. One more life should not be lost, as it will, if this is not done.

    Fact: about a generation before mine, my family of Coup sustained many losses from said area/currents/channel currents.

    Therefore, I implore all stakeholders to Enlighten Your knowledge of a critical issue surrounding your tourism product. Tourist Board and Government, get with it or get out and find the minds that have such knowledge to put knowledge into practice…. Probably got folks in high positions in the tourist industry and on boards who can’t even swim, much less how to ascertain when one is danger and what crucial steps to take to get out of it. Let’s not have any more deaths due to lack of knowledge.

    Yours,
    a local/local Coup descendant. ..

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