Venezuela, Grenada join search for missing Tobago fishermen

Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) director Allan Stewart said authorities in Venezuela and Grenada have been asked to help in the search and rescue of two Tobago fishermen who went missing at sea on February 11.

Stewart also denied reports that there was a “shift in the recovery phase” for the fishermen.

Albert James and Junior Thorne set out to sea from Pigeon Point at around 6 am aboard a pirogue and were expected to return by 10 am that day.

In a statement on February 14, TEMA said, “Search and rescue efforts remain active, guided by the established incident action plan, with all available resources committed to the operation.”

The agency said given historical drift patterns, there have been times when people missing at sea for over three days may enter regional waters.

“To ensure a comprehensive search, we continue to work closely with the relevant authorities, co-ordinating efforts to expand search coverage and improve the chances of locating the individuals.”

TEMA said it remains fully committed to exhausting all search and rescue options.

“We urge the public to rely on official updates and avoid spreading unverified information. Our thoughts are with the families affected and we work towards utilising every effort towards a favourable outcome.”

Stewart told Newsday Venezuelan and Grenadian authorities are helping local agencies search for the fishermen.

“While there are some primary objectives, which is to find the persons alive, there is a possibility that they can be found alive based on historical occurrences where sometimes the person could be picked up by a vessel. So we are hoping that these things happen,” he said.

“The use of international border support like the Venezuelan and Grenadian authorities, those are some of the things that are coming into play at this time.”

Stewart said the drift pattern suggests the pirogue has gone way beyond Tobago’s borders.

“If it is in international borders, based on the drift patterns, there is a strong possibility that they could be picked up. So the searches will continue through those bodies.”