BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The search for a New Jersey couple who went missing last week after renting a Jet Ski in Barbados was called off by the country’s coast guard.
Tourism and International Transport Minister, Kerrie D. Symmonds, confirmed that the search had ended on Sunday night with no success in locating 25-year-old Magdalena Deville and 32-year-old Oscar Suarez.
The United States, which was also helping with the search, withdrew its assisting aircraft on Saturday, June 29.
The authorities said that the couple had rented the jet ski from an establishment in St. James, Barbados, on Monday, June 24. When they didn’t return 20 minutes later, the operators became worried and contacted other operators in the area to search for them, according to police. Both were wearing life jackets when they were last seen.
The Police Marine Unit and Barbados Coast Guard both searched the waters but did not find the couple or the Jet Ski, police said. Authorities also checked with the management of the hotel where the Americans were staying, but neither of them had returned.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley had last Thursday ordered that the search continue for another 72 hours.
“I can’t imagine what you are going through now, but please know that the prayers, as well as the diligent efforts of the Government of Barbados and all of our law enforcement arms as well as the regional ones with whom we are affiliated, will be continuing to work in earnest to find them”, she had said in a message to the relatives.
Suarez and Devil arrived in Barbados on June 22 and were scheduled to stay for a week. Since the couple’s disappearance, family members fly to Barbados to assist in searching and handed out flyers on a beach on the island’s west coast.
