[Updated] Woman learns of son's death at Point Fortin beach via TikTok

The mother of the man whose body washed up on Clifton Hill Beach in Point Fortin over the weekend found out about his death through TikTok.

Early Sunday, a video of Ancil Lewis Smart, 18, began making the rounds on social media after his body washed ashore.

At the time, Smart had not been identified, but a social media user showed the video to his mother, Shellyann Singh, 43, who lives in Freeport.

Singh immediately recognised him and burst into tears. She told other relatives, including a male relative whom she told to go to Point Fortin to identify the body.

"He was my first-born, my only son. I knew it was him," the mother of three told Newsday on Monday.

Smart lived with his uncle at Picton Street, Diamond Village, in San Fernando.

Singh said he turned 18 on October 6. She last spoke to him on Tuesday, when he visited her and spent two nights. He was supposed to return on Friday, but did not.

From what she was told, Smart and three friends went on an excursion to Point Fortin in his car. Other people also went, by bus.

Sometime on Saturday night, Smart reportedly gave his car key to a friend, saying he was going for a walk.

She added that sometime later, the friend went looking for him. His friends could not find him and went home in the car.

Smart's death marked the second time in a year that the family has been in mourning. November 17 will mark a year since Singh's father, Bobby Singh, died of cancer.

"My father mind Ancil from small and they were very close," Singh said. "Ancil was a kind-hearted child who never gave trouble. My son was a sweet, loving child. He used to work in a supermarket. Ancil was a party boy.

"He could not swim, and I am not getting the details of what really happened."

Police reports said Smart and a friend went swimming before dawn on Sunday, and he disappeared under the water.

His body washed ashore around 6 am, and beachgoers called the police.

There were no marks of violence, and the police believe he may have drowned, but a post-mortem has been ordered to determine the cause of death.

Point Fortin police are investigating.