Father and son missing, feared drowned

Members of a Valencia family were yesterday assisting the Coast Guard in the search for a father and son believed to have drowned in Manzanilla on Saturday. Up to last night, the search for Mayhew Emmanuel, 63, and his son Marcus, 24, were unsuccessful. The missing men are reported to be relatives of a female police officer assigned to the Arima police.

Around 4 pm on July 14, the two men were seen pulling a seine at the river mouth in Manzanilla. It is reported that Mayhew who suffers from a minor handicap in one of his legs entered the water to untangle the net and got into difficulties. Reports indicated that Marcus rushed to his father’s aid, but was hampered by the choppy waters. The men subsequently disappeared under the water. Coast Guard officials said they were notified around 7 pm on Saturday about the men’s disappearance.

Public relations officer Lt Kirk Jean-Baptiste revealed that a dive team was sent to the area at first light yesterday, and that the T&T Air Guard had conducted several flights throughout the morning and evening in attempts to locate the men. Jean-Baptiste said an urgent marine information broadcast was issued to all seagoing vessels on Saturday night, to be on the lookout for the men. The search is expected to resume this morning.