For more than 24 hours, a search party trekked through the teak plantations in Penal, looking for retired police officer Ruthven Atkinson, who walked away from his group in search of the beach on Saturday.
Atkinson, 57, was on a church excursion at the Bunsee Trace mud volcano when he went into the bushes and got lost.
His relatives gathered at the location, where hunters, farmers and villagers frantically searched the dense vegetation hoping to find him safe. At nightfall the search party used flashlights and called out his name but Atkinson could not be found.
Penal/Debe Regional Corporation chairman Gowtam Maharaj issued a public appeal for farmers and people who knew the area to join the search.
The nation’s prayers were answered at 6 p.m. on Sunday when Atkinson was found, shirtless and barefoot near the Morne Diablo Beach. He was severely dehydrated and suffered a sprained ankle.
However, he was in “good spirits” and described the ordeal as the adventure of his life. He said he was trying to find the beach to wash the mud off his body.
His son, Stefon Atkinson, told the Express that his father was treated at the Siparia Health Facility yesterday and allowed to go home.
According to Stefon, his father stayed up on Sunday night telling the family the story of how he wandered away from the group and got lost inside the fields, some areas accessible only by tractor.
“He went to the mud volcano with his church group. They reached the volcano and bathe inside. He was covered in mud when he came out and knew there was a beach close by, so he said they would walk to the beach and wash off. But he is an adventurous person so he went ahead of the others and he went in the wrong direction,” Stefon said.
Atkinson, of Princes Town, told relatives he walked for a long distance and could not find the beach. He stopped moving at nightfall, he said, and “just lay low”.
“He said he stopped looking because it was dark. And he just stayed in one spot in the dark. And when he saw some sunlight, he began moving again,” Stefon said.
He did find the beach, the Express was told.
But Atkinson did not get to spend a lot of time in the water because the searchers found him. “He reached the beach Sunday evening, just before he was found,” his son said.
Hunters Search and Rescue team leader Vallence Rambharat said Atkinson was “strong and resilient” and he was in good spirits when they found him.
Meanwhile, Maharaj thanked those who responded to his call for assistance, saying: “Thanks to all who responded, search and rescue, hiking teams, farmers, civilians, state national security agencies, PDRC, media, drone operators.”
