Relatives, friends of missing diver hope buoy can help find him

When 66-year-old Reinaldo Novoa went missing last week Sunday, he had two floating devices (buoys). Relatives and friends of the diver hope to find the buoys, which they believe could lead them to him.

"To clarify, that buoy is just like his and not actually his. We are making a composite of things that would help find him for those looking both on sea and land," his son Reinaldo Novoa Jr said via WhatsApp as he referred to a photo of a replica of the buoy.

His father, a retired nurse, had the word "Novoa" carved on the buoy that he was using.

Friends and family created a WhatsApp group chat with includes a network of people and organisations co-ordinating to keep everyone updated on the rescue effort.

Novoa, of Westmoorings, was last seen on November 9 at about 11 am when a boatman dropped him off the coast of Manzanilla, where he went for an open dive.

The boatman returned to pick him up at about 3.45 pm, but the diver was nowhere to be found.

PHI Americas Ltd, the NGO Search and Rescue, the Air Guard, TT and Grenada Coast Guard, Bristow Caribbean Ltd, the police Air Support Unit, Royal Navy, BPTT, family, friends, including people from other Caribbean islands have all been searching for him.

A letter dated November 12 to the Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi from the family thanked the National Security mMnister for assisting with helicopters and mobilising resources in the search efforts.

The family asked  the AG to use his office to communicate with the Regional Security System based in Barbados to help in the ongoing search.