The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE family of missing Andros resident Antonio “Doe Doe” Bastian is offering a $2,000 reward for information that could help find him as his disappearance stretches beyond a month and his sister says she now fears he may be dead.

Mr Bastian, 45, was last seen on July 13 walking along the Queen’s Highway between Love Hill and Fresh Creek.

His family became alarmed when he failed to return home the following day. After waiting 48 hours, relatives reported him missing to police on July 16.

His sister, Hanna Mott, said yesterday that relatives and members of the Andros community have continued searching in vain for Mr Bastian.

Ms Mott said the disappearance has devastated their mother, who has cried nearly every day since her son vanished and continues to leave food for him in the hope that he will return.

“When she eat, she hardly eat,” Ms Mott said. “When she eats, she leaves some food for him just in case he’s coming back home. She eat breakfast, she leave some for him. She eat piece of bread, she leave a piece for him.”

But while their mother continues to hope for his return, Ms Mott said the length of time her brother has been missing has left her fearing the worst.

“I feel like he’s gone,” she said. “I feel like they probably knock him and didn’t meant to knock him down hard. They probably dump somewhere, and he just linger, and he just finished die.”

Ms Mott expressed disappointment with the response from police in New Providence and said she believes officers in Andros need additional resources to assist with the investigation and search.

Mr Bastian had been travelling to see a doctor before his disappearance, according to his sister.

Ms Mott previously said her brother experiences episodes of “seeing things”, receives injectable medication and had been treated at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.

She said he had been making good progress since leaving the facility and earned money by washing cars.

Mr Bastian is described as having a dark brown complexion, standing 5ft 6in tall and having a slim build.

The Tribune sought comment from the Royal Bahamas Police Force but received no response up to press time.