Volunteers join police in coordinated bid to find reporter

(CNS): The coordinated search for missing local reporter Andrel Harris (34) will resume this morning at 8:30am. Volunteers are due to meet at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church on Pedro Castle Road, close to where he was last seen on Tuesday night at around 9:30pm. On Thursday, the police conducted ground, aerial and coastal searches in the area based on information from CCTV and door-to-door checks.

Police were joined by dozens of volunteers as well as numerous other government agencies and non-profit organisations, including the Cayman Islands Coast Guard (CICG) and Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI), which facilitated a partial activation of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) and coordinated efforts of support teams, first aid services by the Red Cross, activation of a Call Centre for volunteers as well as CayMind for mental health support.

The Cayman Islands Baptist Church is being used as a Command Centre from which several teams, including emergency workers and the volunteer search parties, conducted grid and line searches based on information from CCTV.

The coastguard conducted search operations at sea and used data from the Cayman Islands Weather Station to refine key areas and underwater equipment, which aided visual searches for any items of interest. During the search, an item of clothing was seen but could not be confirmed as belonging to Harris at this time.

The RCIPS Air Operations Unit helicopter and drone operators, both private and government, coordinated by the police drone team, were deployed to help in dense and wide-scale areas.

Several lines of enquiry were followed throughout the day, and based on information gathered, a further coordinated search will be conducted today. To ensure it is effective and safe, members of the public volunteering to help with the search effort are asked to meet at the Baptist Church at 8:30am, where a briefing will be conducted about today’s continued search for Harris.

Harris was wearing a dark blue shirt with sleeves rolled up and black pants when he was last seen on Pedro Castle Road, holding what appeared to be a brown paper bag and a bottle, walking south towards Pedro Castle. He is approximately 5’9″, and of slim build, with a dark brown complexion, and has long, neatly kept dreadlocks.

Police urge anyone who has seen Harris or knows of his whereabouts to call 911 or the Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220.