Bodies of 2 girls recovered

THE BODIES of the two teenaged girls who drowned at the Morne Diablo beach on Saturday were found washed ashore later that night. Around 9.30 pm, relatives said the bodies of Nikela Rogers and Rafi Fermin were discovered on the sand nearby where they were swimming when they disappeared. Rogers and Fermin, both 16 years old, were Form Five pupils of the Siparia Senior Comprehensive School. Fermin, of Robert Village, Siparia, was spending the weekend with Rogers at her Morne Diablo home.

The teens went to the beach on Saturday morning with Rogers’ boyfriend, Ryan McNish, when around 2.30 pm they got into difficulties while bathing near a rock. McNish managed to rescue Rogers, but she dived back into the sea to save Fermin. On Saturday night, within minutes of the girls’ disappearance, relatives and Morne Diablo fishermen launched a sea and man-hunt for the bodies along a five mile stretch along the south-western coastline. Some ten hours later, Roger’s uncle, Harold, spotted Fermin’s body on the shore. Rogers’ body was also found nearby, her face buried in the sand. Rogers’ aunt told Newsday: “Nikela’s face was really mashed up, probably from hitting on the rocks.” Both of the girls’ mothers reside in the United States. Penal Police are continuing investigations.