PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad — Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that active search-and-rescue operations commenced on Monday following a boating accident that left multiple individuals unaccounted for.
Crews deployed across the island on Monday to locate at least five individuals reported missing following the collision, working alongside the Hunters Search and Rescue Team, a local non-governmental organization that assisted law enforcement.
The coast guard reported that two vessels collided on Sunday evening in the waters off Trinidad’s northwestern peninsula, the larger of the two primary islands constituting the twin-island Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Preliminary reports indicate that several persons remain unaccounted for as search efforts continue,” the coast guard stated in a Monday announcement.
During the collision, one vessel was thrown into the air, sending its occupants into the water, according to eyewitness Jonathan Salandy, a captain with local tour operator Pontoon Tours TT.
“I saw people just in the water all over,” Salandy stated in a video report.
Salandy explained that he and his crew rushed to the scene and began rescuing survivors in the dark. They tossed life jackets to the crash victims and pulled several onto their tour vessel.
He noted that one victim sustained a severe laceration to the head and significant bleeding.
The coast guard confirmed that rescued individuals were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment. Officials have not yet disclosed the exact number of those injured.
On Monday, family members and friends of the missing gathered along the shoreline at a nearby beach in Chaguaramas, located on Trinidad’s northwestern tip. They gathered for hours in prayer while awaiting updates from authorities.
Off Trinidad’s northwestern peninsula lies a chain of smaller islands within Trinidad and Tobago’s territory, which serves as a popular destination for weekend getaways and events. Small boats operate as the primary means of transport between the mainland and these islands.
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