Five of the six people reported missing after Sunday’s fatal boat collision off Chaguaramas have now been recovered, with search efforts continuing for the final victim.
The latest recoveries brought some measure of closure to grieving families, even as relatives of the only person still unaccounted for continue to await answers.
At approximately 6 am yesterday, search teams recovered the body of 18-year-old Amyir Ali of La Horquette Branch Road, Point Cumana. Around four hours later, the body of 17-year-old Kieyanna Seechan of Rodney Street, Point Cumana, was found in the same area. At 1.35 pm, searchers also recovered the body of 23-year-old Jaheim Richards.
On Wednesday, the body of 38-year-old Anil Ahyee of L’Anse Mitan Road, Carenage, was found. Later that evening, at about 9.45 pm, the body of 25-year-old Titus Augustine of Bon Air Gardens, Arouca, was recovered.
Lorenzo Oliver, 35, of Fourth Street, Sparrow Drive, Point Cumana, remains the only victim still missing.
T&T Coast Guard, TTPS Coastal and Marine Unit and Hunters Search and Rescue teams, alongside volunteers, had been searching for the missing since the incident.
Speaking with reporters at Chaquacabana, Chaguaramas, yesterday, Seechan’s aunt, Dixie-Ann Phillip, described the recovery of her niece’s body as an answered prayer.
“Let’s be honest, we knew, but we still had hope. We were still praying for a miracle, that one miracle that might have made a difference throughout the country because, as far as we have seen through social media, the whole of Trinidad and Tobago has been mourning, not just for her but for the other families as well,” Phillip said.
She recalled visiting the shoreline the day before and reflecting on the significance of the third day while praying for her niece’s return.
“Yesterday, I came and I realised it was three days and, from the Bible, after three days she should rise, at least that’s what I believe and what I was told. I may be wrong. So on the third day I came and I spoke to her (the sea), and I said, ‘I’m a mother, I’m a daughter, I’m a sister, I’m a niece, I’m a grandmother and all I’m asking for is for you to give her back to us.’
“So when I was on my way here and I heard that they found a body and it’s hers, I think it was only fair for me to tell the sea thanks.”
Despite her family’s loss, Phillip offered words of encouragement to Oliver’s relatives as the search continues.
“Don’t give up. Continue to pray. There is a God and one way or another He will deliver. It might not be what you want, just like how it wasn’t what we wanted, but He will deliver. Keep the faith.”
Asked what justice would look like for families affected by the tragedy, Phillip said no outcome could undo the loss of life.
“Lives have been lost. There isn’t justice for that,” she said.
“People have their own opinions, but that’s mine. We’re looking for closure. We’re looking to move forward from this, whatever this is, and move forward.”
Remembering her niece, Phillip described Seechan as a young woman with tremendous potential and a passion for working with children.
“Kieyanna was the child anybody would want. Very respectful, loving, understanding, caring and honest. When she put her mind to something, she was determined. Her future was so bright. She had so many plans.”
Phillip said Seechan, a graduate of St Francois Girls’ College, worked as a substitute teacher at St Peter’s RC Primary School and hoped to become a teacher.
“She loved being around children because they made her happy,” Phillip said.
“She had her life planned out. Once she accomplished certain things, she would focus on marriage and building her future. She was a gem, a princess.”
Seechan would have celebrated her 18th birthday on December 9. While Phillip said she was unaware of any specific birthday plans, she said the occasion would undoubtedly have reflected the love her family had for her.
The accident
Police said that around 6.30 pm on Sunday, the 28-foot pleasure craft Bambaleo, captained by a 44-year-old Federation Park resident and travelling east near Cannings Point, collided with the 29-foot vessel Belbagai, which was travelling west and captained by a 35-year-old Point Cumana resident.
Initial reports indicated that five of the 14 people aboard Belbagai had been thrown overboard. Authorities later confirmed that Richards was also among the missing. The vessel subsequently sank, leaving all occupants in the water.
Several people were rescued by passengers aboard the Bambaleo and another nearby vessel before being transported to the T&T Coast Guard base at Staubles Bay.
Seven people from the Belbagai were treated for injuries at the St James Medical Facility, while three were transferred to the Port of Spain General Hospital for further treatment. All 17 passengers aboard the Bambaleo were examined and later discharged.
