Palo Seco teen feared drowned

SHARLENE RAMPERSAD

CHRISTIAN Houston died a hero, losing his life as he tried to save the life of his cousin. Now, his grief stricken mother walks the shoreline between Los Iros and Sobo beaches every day, searching for his body. Houston, 20, a construction worker from Palo Seco is believed to have drowned on February 17, during an outing with relatives at Los Iros beach. According to reports, Houston dived into the water when he heard his cousin, Tonia Cedeno screaming for help. Cedeno, 19 and her friend had been swept into the ocean by strong currents when they went into the water to wash their feet. Yesterday Cedeno said she will always be grateful that Houston tried to save her. “My friend and I went to wash mud off our feet when the current pulled us in, my friend was much further in than me, I thought I was going to die and I was screaming as much as I could,” Cedeno recalled. “The water was pulling me under and I was fighting to come up and I saw when Christian dive into the water…I saw when the wave drag him away.” Cedeno was rescued by another relative while her friend managed to swim to safety. “I will never forget that he tried to save me, he gave his life to try to help me.”

Christian’s mother, Laverne Buddle said she is hoping and praying that after 11 days, her family can still find Christian’s body. “I am hoping we can at least find some little piece of him left so we can do a proper burial and put him to rest properly,” Buddle said. She said the TT Coast Guard (TTCG) did not do an adequate search for Christian.

“They came the next day and their divers searched for about an hour before they called off the search as they said the current was too strong. They could have at least come back another day but they have never been back since.” Efforts to reach TTCG Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Sherron Manswell were unsuccessful yesterday evening.