One body found, two still missing

The body of Erin fisherman Edward Williams washed ashore in Icacos yesterday morning.

According to reports, a group of fishermen from Erin had just begun Day Three of their search for Williams, who was 42, Edmund Charles, 40 and Kel Hagley, 25, when they spotted the body on the shoreline.

The trio went missing on Tuesday night when two fishing vessels collided just off Los Iros Beach around 7.15pm. The accident left one fisherman, Sheldon Guerra, dead instantly. Three other men are still at hospital in serious condition.

Williams’ stepdaughter Christine Balfour confirmed that his body was found yesterday.

She said her family was struggling to come to terms with Williams’ death as he was a loving and caring person.

She said the family’s grief was increased when they realised that photos of Williams’ body were circulating on social media.

“My mother was trying to shield my brothers and my sister from seeing him like this, with his body already decomposing and someone went and posted it on Facebook,” Balfour said.

“Why would someone think that is necessary, at the end of the day he was a human being and he has a family, why would you do something like that?” Balfour said the family should be allowed to grieve in peace. “Let us remember him the way he was, a kind, caring, loving person. Don’t take that from us now.” She and other family members have reported the pictures to Facebook, in hopes that the site will remove them.

She said a report was also made to police about the posts.

“We don’t know what can be done but we are asking people to stop sharing it and think about the people it is impacting.”

Balfour praised the fishermen who continued to search every day for the missing men.

“The Coast Guard stops a certain time every day but these fishermen don’t. They have four boats and five men on each boat and they have been going out day and night searching for the men.”

The search for Charles and Hagley, who are brothers-in-law, continued yesterday. TT Coast Guard Public Relations Officer, Lieuntenant Sherron Manswell said the TTCG had made a request to Venezuela’s Guardia Nacional for assistance in finding the men.

Manswell said due to the length of time the men have been missing and the sea patterns, the men may have drifted into Venezuelan waters.