Police end search and recovery operation
RCIPS Joint Marine Unit tows the Panga boat that the missing men and boys had been aboard
(CNS): RCIPS management has confirmed that the search and recovery operation for five people lost at sea has come to an end. Edsell Haylock, Gary Mullings and his three nephews, Nicholas Watler, Kamron (11) and his brother Kanyi Brown (9), went missing on Sunday, 6 March, some time after leaving 12 Mile Banks that afternoon following a fishing trip. Police said there were no significant discoveries or developments during the recovery operation and the families of the missing have now been informed.
The tragic loss of the three men and two boys has been mired in controversy after questions were raised and allegations made about the handling by the RCIPS of the rescue operation. Police have insisted, based on both 911 records and those supplied by the relevant telecoms provider, that the first call reporting that the 27-foot Panga and the five souls on board were missing was received at midnight, some eight hours after the last sighting, disputing claims by some family members that earlier reports were made.
Given the very rough sea conditions and safety concerns, the potential drift of the vessel and the massive search area by the time of the first report, the RCIPS did not begin the search and rescue operation until the following morning.
A few hours after Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush filed a private member’s motion calling on government to launch an independent public enquiry, Police Commissioner David Baines asked Governor Helen Kilpatrick to conduct a review of the handling of the case.
That motion now forms part of the business that the eight opposition members now want dealt with in an emergency parliamentary meeting they have requested to also debate a no confidence motion in the RCIPS management.
Government has already called on the speaker to convene a meeting of the Legislative Assembly for 25 April but the members of the opposition benches, including the three CDP/UDP and the five independents, want a meeting earlier than that and were hoping for a meeting this week. CNS understands, however, that House Speaker Julianna O-Connor-Connolly is overseas and it is not clear if any meeting can be held before the middle of April.
Category: Local News, Police
The Police must not only try but be seen as trying. In this case they did the bare minimum of the former.
Only way to make change in our police force and the governor is to start moving in the direction on independence. People have to realize that this country population is 65k and out of that number they are only about 30k born and raise caymanian. We are out number in our own country and that’s why these islands and changing so much. Everyone is coming here and putting in there 2 cents and see the island adapt laws from where they come from. Please people before you come to this islands and want these islands to change please help your own country,
Totally irrelevant and inappropriate. Precisely the reason why these islands will fall if they go independent. There are not enough Caymanians.
And I guess before you came here we were a failure, hence why you came.
We are already independent, the U.K. Don’t help us at all but send us a governor that don’t have the island and the native people interest at all. All of you that oppose the comment above is mostly expats, and I understand that you feel unwelcome here on the island, but if this was your country, and you have been outnumbered you will feel the same way. Don’t blame me for being patriotic…. You have to respect the people that born here and raised here, because we don’t have no other country to go to, as we don’t want to go to no other country. Please respect my land, the Cayman Islands!!!!!!!!
Will you still import teachers when you have independence? Perhaps you should sign up for some extra lessons, you certainly missed a lot a school.
I hardly see the relevance of your rant, but, here we go again!!
These things will happen again, not because of the inadequacies of the RCIPS, but because people will continue to be stupid enough to take innocent children out in a boat with bad weather coming in with no lifejackets on board. 99% of the blame in this case rests with the 3 adults who should have known better.
Only way you will get a Caymanian out to a march is to ensure them that they won’t be up front, and will be way in the back so they can leave early if it gets too hot.
The RCIPS are always eager and willing to absolve themselves of their incapabilities. The question remains whether we remain willing to live with the status quo of many open and obvious deficiencies of the service. Are we going to learn from this?
Wish i knew your identity
It is important that all citizens and residents of these beloved Islands now arise and March not to the CIG Administration builduing but to our house where Her Excellency the Governor resides. Enough is enough the sins of this child, the Commissioner, who treads with impunity must be dealt with now , he must be sent back to his Mama. If we don’t take this action people we will forever regret our inaction, regret our lack of unity in adversity and become nothing short of weak sheep.
To the Governors, lead us MLAS and we will follow. What say ye people ride up and take your stand.
What has this got to do with a tragic loss of life? Muppet.
yes Cabron your a complete muppet. RIP to these poor souls lost at Sea.
What a shame and a sorrowful ending.
the police are last people you should be investigating about this…….
and she the Governor will not find anything wrong in what Baines did, so marching to where she resides is just a waste of time!
The Brits stick together no matter what. Baines ain’t going nowhere. Makes no difference how much we Caymanians croak!