Daughter of missing Tobago fisherman worried

The daughter of missing Tobago fisherman Dexter Thomas is asking for the public's help to find him, after he went missing along with Seon Francis during a fishing expedition one week ago off the east coast.

In an interview with Newsday on Monday, Cameika Thomas, the eldest of Thomas’ eight children, said she is desperate for any news about her father’s disappearance.

She said: “He went out to fish on Saturday (December 18) with two other men. Unfortunately, we got a call on Wednesday (December 22) from the Coast Guard that the boat crashed into an oil rig on Sunday (December 19) and only one person was found."

She said she spoke to the man who was rescued.

“The survivor stated that the boat ended up below the oil rig and they jumped out of the boat because the boat was slamming against the oil rig. I don’t know what danger that would have caused but he said it was slamming so they had to jump out. When they jump out, two of them held on to gas jugs and he alone held on to the oil rig.

"He said he found a phone on the oil rig and he contacted the Coast Guard and Air Guard which came for him and took him to the hospital.”

The Bethel woman said she remains confused by the situation.

“Normally, he would go and he would come back. He never go and took so long going out to fish, and he hasn’t returned or we haven’t received a phone call from him.”

She said the authorities have not updated the family about the search.

“We have been the ones calling and asking all the questions because nobody telling we anything. We asking about the searching, nobody not saying anything, and we’re really not getting any information, All they’re telling we is that they’re searching and they ent find nobody yet, so we ent know if they really searching – we ent know nothing.

"All we know is that my father is somewhere out at sea holding on to gas jugs.”

In a press release on Thursday, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) said on December 22, it received a report of two people in the water on the east coast of Tobago.

It said based on this information, it initiated a search and rescue operation that involved the use of the new TTS Scarborough (CG 42) cape class patrol boat. The Coast Guard said it has also engaged partner agencies, particularly bpTT, to assist the search and rescue operation with their safety boats and other assets.

Contacted on Monday, TTCG public relations officer Keron Valere said the search is ongoing.

ACP William Nurse told Newsday on Monday an investigation into the disappearance of the two fishermen is ongoing.

In October, fisherman Atiba Williams went missing during a fishing expedition with his mentor George Alexander. Williams was last seen leaving his Goodwood home to go fishing with Alexander in Scarborough. Williams’ vessel was found in Canoe Bay a few days later. The boat, which still had its Yamaha engine attached, was badly damaged on its right and beginning to take on water.

Williams is yet to be found.