by Linda Straker
Police have confirmed that a body was found today near Green Island and its believed to be 1 of the 5 persons who is unaccounted for, following the boating accident on Sunday. At present, they are unable to confirm if it is a male or female. The undertaker is expected to collect the body and a post-mortem will be conducted.
Green Island is situated between Sugar Loaf and Sandy Island, and nearby to Bathway Beach and Bedford Point at the northern end of the island of Grenada.
On Thursday, Kimei Richardson of Brunswick, Carriacou, Captain of the 18-ft fishing vessel, appeared in court on one charge of manslaughter by negligence. He is presently on bail.
He is one of six men who were jointly charged last month with possession of firearms and ammunition. The men were nabbed during a police operation on Wednesday, 13 January 2016, at Levera, St Patrick, which led to the discovery of 11 rounds of ammunition and 2Â firearms.
Others charged in that raid were Anwar Collins, Terrance Roberts, Shevon Williams and Sean Grant, all of River Sallee, St Patrick; and Delon McSween of Tivoli, St Andrew. The men were all placed on bail.
Though Richardson was the captain of the boat, Police have yet to disclose the owner of the 18-foot, 75 horsepower fishing vessel, which encountered difficulties in the waters within the vicinity of Sugar Loaf island after departing Levera Beach at around 7 pm.
Police said an alarm was raised sometime after 9 pm last Sunday by one of the persons who swam ashore. That person was the Captain. Two of the Coast Guard vessels of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) were deployed immediately to the area to conduct search and rescue operations. Currently, 6 persons are accounted for with one of those persons confirmed as dead. The body of 15-year-old Shonte Charles washed ashore on Monday. Police are yet to disclose the names of the persons found and the names of the persons still missing.
The RGPF is continuing its search and rescue operations, and is assisted by the Regional Security System (RSS), the Marine Unit of the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA), as well as local fishermen.The National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) has also activated its emergency operation centre in River Sallee, St Patrick — the community most affected.