Mom hugs dead daughter at beach

Nicolasia King, assisted by two relatives got her wish but was forcibly pulled away from the body after hugging her daughter for more than three minutes.

Her daughter Nicola, and husband Robert drowned on Thursday afternoon at the Chagville Beach.

A third man, Marcelle Nanda of Longdenville who attempted to rescue the father and daughter, died on the way to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

At about 8 am yesterday, the body of Nicola was retrieved by coast guard officers on the same spot where she drowned.

Her mother Nicolasia was on hand to view the body of her daughter being plucked from the sea.

She went to the Chagville Beach early yesterday to wait for the bodies of her daughter and husband to surface.

Weeping uncontrollably, Nico-lasia begged to hug her daughter and after getting her wish she was taken to a doctor to be treated for shock.

The three drownings caused quite a stir in Todds Road Caparo and Longdenville yesterday.

Relatives of the three victims described them as good people.

According to reports, Robert Peruse, 46, his daughter Nicola, 14, a student of the Tabaquite Composite, along with other relatives left their Caparo home on Thursday and went to the Chagville Beach for a day of fun.

At about 4.30 pm while Nicola was fishing close to some concrete pillars located in the water, she reportedly stumbled and fell into a deep hole in the sea.

As she went down and began gasping for breath, her father Robert who was standing on shore rushed to the assistance of his daughter and attempted to save her.

Reports reveal that Peruse also fell into the hole in the sea and was unable to save himself.

Marcelle Nanda of Longden-ville, who witnessed the incident jumped into the water and attempted to save Peruse and his daughter.

Reports are that he too fell into the hole and swallowed a lot of water.

By the time other people intervened, both father and daughter had drowned.

Attempts were made to assist Nanda but he died on the way to the Port-of-Spain General Hospi-tal. Up until late yesterday, the body of Peruse had not yet surfaced.

Relatives of Nanda described him as a hero and added that he was always willing to assist anyone in need.

The 19-year-old man worked as a labourer at a tile factory in Longdenville.

He had plans to travel abroad.

Pearl Johnson, the grandmother of Nicola said yesterday that she still cannot believe that the drownings occured.

She was hoping and praying that the body of Peruse surfaced yesterday so that his relatives could bring closure to the deaths.

Officers of the Carenage Police Station are investigating.