Two Felicity fishermen drown at Carli Bay

The search for two fishermen who went missing on Saturday ended tragically yesterday when one of the two bodies was washed ashore at Carli Bay, Couva around midday.

The body of Himraj Esau, 23, was discovered by fisherman at Carli Bay and officers of the Couva Police Station were alerted. Esau appeared to have drowned and the flat bottom boat which he left with to fish was nowhere in sight. His grieving parents Sookraj and Jean Esau were in tears when Newsday visited their Cacandee Road, Felicity home yesterday. Sookraj told Newsday that his son was advised against fishing at sea in a flat bottom boat but he loved fishing and spent his spare time at sea.

The grieving man said that when his son failed to return home, he and others kept vigil at the Felicity swamp hoping that his son and neighbour would return home. However, when the hours passed and the two failed to return, he lost hope. He is of the view that his son and neighbour drowned when a monster wave toppled over the flat bottom boat throwing the men into the sea. He said that on Sunday he braced himself for the worst and yesterday he learned from the Couva police that around 2 am yesterday, a body was found stuck in a net and a frightened fisherman threw the body back into the sea. A report was then made to the police. Sookraj said that he sent his other son and relatives to Carli Bay where they assisted in the search and he was told the sad news that the body was recovered. He described his son as a good person who was always willing to assist. Sookraj was comforted by other relatives as he sat in a chair alongside his grieving wife Jean.

At the home of Budhram Nebar, his six children sat at the lower part of their home and awaited news on the search for his body. Although the body was not recovered by 3 pm yesterday, his relatives were certain that he too had drowned. Relatives said that Nebar was also a crab-catcher and the sole breadwinner in his family. When he left home last Saturday, they never thought that it would be the last time they would see him alive. At Carli Bay, Coast Guard officers combed the entire sea front in search of the body of Nebar to no avail. Fishermen from Felicity kept vigil at the swamp hoping to receive word on Nebar. They told Newsday that they had advised the two men against fishing with a flat bottom boat in the sea, but they failed to heed the warning. Officers of the Chaguanas and Couva Police Stations are investigating.