Laventille man missing after San Fernando boat trip

Shomari Fraser, 22, missing after boat ride. -
Shomari Fraser, 22, missing after boat ride. -

A trip to an island off San Fernando on Friday afternoon ended in tragedy as a 22-year-old man is believed to have drowned at sea.

Up to Saturday, Shomari "Mari" Fraser was still missing. The unemployed man is from John John, Laventille but has been living in Embacadere, San Fernando, for the past year.

The father of one was staying at the home of Rhianna Giuseppi, 29, who considered him her son.

She recalled that he left with three other young men from the area in a boat to go to Farallon Rock, an island in the Gulf of Paria off the coast of San Fernando.

They were earlier drinking and liming and at around 5.30 pm decided to go for a bath near the island.

According to reports, two of the men jumped went swimming while Fraser and the other stayed on the boat.

Rhianni Giuseppi recounts her last moments with Shomari Fraser at her Embascadere, San Fernando home on Saturday. - Marvin Hamilton

Fraser, who cannot swim, jumped into the water and began having difficulties.

The two men tried to rescue him, but he did not have the strength to hold on. He fell back into the water and disappeared, the report said.

"It happened about half an hour after they left. Shortly before 7 pm, they came back with the news. No one here has anything bad to say about Shomari. He never robbed or stole from anybody because I never encouraged him in those kinds of things," Giuseppi said.

"He calls me Mother. We are like his extended family, although he did not grow up here."

Giuseppi said Fraser's biological mother had been informed but was in disbelief over the disappearance.

From what Giuseppi was told, Fraser's identification card had an error with the spelling of his surname – Fraser – which should have included an "i" (Fraiser). The police and Coast Guard have been alerted.

Comments

"Laventille man missing after San Fernando boat trip"

More in this section