The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

POLICE in Grand Bahama are continuing their search for missing storm victims after the human remains of two people were recently discovered on the island.

According to Superintendent Brian Rolle, head of Grand Bahama’s Central Detective Unit, officers were alerted by residents to the discovery of two sets of human remains in the Pelican Point area last month.

“The first one (was discovered) on Sunday the 26th of January and persons in Pelican Point area near the beach found some human remains — skulls, parts of a rib, spine and femur bone, etc…

“These particular bones were pretty decayed, so we are thinking this may be related to some graveyards that used to be in the area… But, I don’t want to say or prejudge the situation, but just looking at it, that’s the impression it gives.”

Four days later, Supt Rolle said, police officers were alerted to another set of human remains at the same beach.

“In the same beach, but not in the same area, on Thursday the 30th, another set of human remains were found. These ones were more in line with a little bit of tissue of other human’s decomposed tissue matter (which) was still attached to these bones.”

Supt Rolle could not confirm whether the human remains discovered were hurricane victims, or were deceased before the storm, but noted that DNA testing will be conducted to identify the bodies.

“It will be some time before we can ascertain for certain, maybe a month or two,” he said.

“However, these bodies were still removed and taken to the morgue (in Grand Bahama) to successfully assess the DNA done to choose and to be compared to the DNA bank that we established for persons who would’ve lost loved ones.”

After Hurricane Dorian ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahama in early September, officials initially reported over 2,000 people to be missing following Dorian’s passing.

Those numbers, however, have since dwindled in recent months with less than 60 people currently listed as missing in Abaco and Grand Bahama, according to Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson.

In January, the commissioner told a local daily that 54 people were reported as missing on the storm impacted islands.

As it relates to Grand Bahama, Supt Rolle said 22 persons are still listed as missing in relation to the storm.

However, he noted that the count could possibly be reduced once DNA test results on the remains of two persons found by police in October have been concluded.

“Two are still waiting ID…These were the two that was found last year. It was a Jane Doe and a John Doe and if the two of them are positively identified to a date of birth, those numbers will then be reduced from 22 to 20,” he told The Tribune.

Still, Supt Rolle said police are committed to bringing closure to as many families as possible who have reported their loved ones missing.

“It’s slow, it’s tedious, time consuming, but we have to stretch it out as much as we can. It’s not like in the early days like you maybe might’ve smelled something or seen some birds circling around or saw some clothing.

“But, it’s so much debris and they’re pretty high, but we are continuing to put in the time.”

The official death toll from Hurricane Dorian currently stands at 71, according to police, with 11 confirmed deaths in Grand Bahama and 60 in Abaco.

Officials have previously said that the death toll is expected to grow as crews continue to clean up debris from the affected islands.