The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force received an unverified intelligence report from the United States Coast Guard that a vessel smuggling about 60 migrants left Abaco for Florida on July 4.

Defence Force Commodore Raymond King said the search for the vessel had been suspended, adding that no ship was positively identified as leaving Abaco and no missing person report had been submitted.

Despite this, the defence force said on Facebook that “the vessel last reported experiencing engine issues at 2300 hours on the same day, as reported by the USCG.”

Commodore King told The Tribune: “Search and rescue assets (surface and aerial) were deployed by the USCG without any detection of the reported vessel. Regrettably, the search has since been suspended. As part of the extended search, the local police was contacted to confirm the departure of reported vessel with subsequent inquiries to be conducted with the Customs Department.”

The commodore said weather conditions were unfavourable during the week of July 4.

That date is significant because that’s when family and friends last heard from Wens Johnathan Desir, a popular Haitian singer reported missing in The Bahamas on July 16 after visiting Abaco to perform at a concert. 

Police characterised Mr Désir as missing at sea in a press statement on Wednesday but did not elaborate on why this is suspected. A police official said authorities are investigating unverified reports that Mr Désir may have been missing at sea.