Young tells House details of search for missing diver

BY air and by sea the protective services have joined in the search for missing diver Reinaldo Novoa, Minister of National Security Stuart Young told the House of Representatives on Monday.

He was replying to an urgent question by Mayaro MP Rushton Paray on the fate of the 66-year-old Novoa, who went missing on Sunday when he did not resurface while diving at Manzanilla.

“Upon receiving the information, a Coast Guard patrol vessel from the south coast was redirected to the east coast, where it conducted searches until the nightfall, unfortunately with negative results," Young said.

“The TT Air Guard conducted a flight on the morning of November 9 but did not see anything. The TT Coast Guard continues to maintain contact with the family and other search parties.

“Based on the drift and past cases, landfall is generally expected to be made close to Balandra.”

Young said Novoa’s friends and family members were searching the Balandra area.

“The Air Guard continues to assist and will do more flights and the Coast Guard is sending another vessel to the east coast to search from Toco heading to the southeast.

“This morning as well, in following up on this, there was information that we will also conduct searches using the Air Guard and whatever other Coast Guard vessels are necessary from Tobago come down to Trinidad if the body or the person is not found.”

Later, in reply to a listed question, Young said the Coast Guard has 13 seaworthy vessels in operation, but the specifics of its operations were matters of national security and so were not to be placed in the public domain.