Mom gives up search for missing son’s body

SHARLENE RAMPERSAD

Defeated and heartbroken, Laverne Buddle has given up the search for her son’s body.

Buddle said her family and friends have been scouring the shoreline between Los Iros and Sobo beaches in south Trinidad as they pray that her son, Christian Houston’s body will wash ashore. Houston, 20, drowned at Los Iros on February 17 when he dived into rough waters to try to save the life of his cousin, Tonia Cedeno and one of her friends.

The teen girls had been swept into the ocean around 6 pm while they were washing mud off their feet.

Cedeno told Sunday Newsday she began to scream for help as she thought she would drown and she saw Houston, who could not swim, dive into the water. Moments later, Cedeno said, the crushing waves dragged Houston under.

He never resurfaced.

Other relatives who were on the beach at the time were able to rescue Cedeno and her friend was able to swim to safety.

On Friday, Buddle said the family is officially calling off its search.

She had hoped that Houston’s body would surface so he could be given a proper funeral.

Now the family will host a memorial service instead.

“We are giving up now, I don’t think we will find him again,” Buddle said. “I was praying it would not end like this.”

Houston, a construction worker who lived at Palo Seco, was described as kind and selfless. He was Buddle’s first child and only son.

Buddle said the family had heard rumours that a body was found by the Venezuelan Coast Guard but they are yet to receive any official news.

**Headline**

Comments

"Mom gives up search for missing son’s body"

More in this section