The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

THE mother of one of two men who were on board a plane that crashed off Acklins last week is holding out hope that he will be found alive.

Judy Brown has faith that officers of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force will soon find her son Steven Sawyer, even though the mission has been changed from search and rescue to search and recovery.

Mr Sawyer was a passenger on a yellow and white Piper PA28 aircraft piloted by Cliff Dean. They were last seen on Friday, March 5, at 8am when the duo departed Lynden Pindling International Airport for Inagua.

The plane crashed in waters off Acklins on Friday morning.

“I know my son is alive,” Ms Brown said. “The Defence Force will find him. I am not giving up hope at all. We are praying for his return. I think they have a lead on something to do with his cell phone and I am holding on to that. I think we are going to get good news soon. We are just waiting to hear the good news at any minute.

“I refuse to think anything else. My son is alive and that is what I am holding on to. He is alive. I know he is. All we can do is pray at this stage and that is what we are doing. So through prayer and faith, we know he will be found.”

On Tuesday evening, the RBDF and personnel from the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) spoke to Mr Sawyer’s and Mr Dean’s families advising them of the latest in the search and rescue mission.

On Wednesday, the RBDF issued a statement updating the public on the unfortunate flight.

The statement said, “Family members of the two occupants who reportedly went missing on an overdue aircraft were given investigation updates by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force and personnel from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) on Tuesday March 9.

“During a briefing at HMBS Coral Harbour, the RBDF search and rescue coordinator, Commander William Sturrup, informed family members that the search efforts have now become a search and recovery operation, due to the elapsed length of time in which the aircraft was last heard from.

“He further went on to explain that the organisation will continue its ongoing search efforts, which will be centred around the southern Bahamas, where the aircraft was last seen on radar.”

Operations investigator at AAIA, Kendall Dorsett Jr along with Delvin Major, chief investigator at AAIA, also spoke with the families telling them about the investigation process. The Sawyer and Dean families were assured that they will be updated as information becomes available. Acting Captain Shawn Adderley, RBDF Coral Harbour, was also present at the meeting.

Gina Knowles, who was part of a group that assisted in the search for downed pilot Byron Ferguson in 2018, has once again called on the boating community to assist with the search for Mr Sawyer and Mr Dean.

April Sawyer Finlayson and Tamika Strachan, relatives of the missing men, have organised a GoFundMe account to assist with the search. By yesterday afternoon, more than $5,000 of the $20,000 goal was raised.

After receiving reports of a missing aircraft in the vicinity of Acklins, the RBDF Operations Command Centre was officially notified and RBDF assets joined in the search along with a US Coast Guard cutter, a US Coast Guard fixed-wing and a US Coast Guard helicopter.

There are concerns about rough seas and high winds as the search continues. Officials at the Royal Bahamas Defence Force are continuing to work with its partnering agencies in the search for the missing aircraft.