Surviving Cameroonians aboard superyacht Genevieve, moments after they were rescued by the captain and crew Photo courtesy Observer News Co/Captain Thomas Auckland)
All missing Cameroonians who have not yet been found have most likely perished. Reports are that 13 are still unaccounted for. Three were found dead.
The boat transporting them to St Thomas from Antigua and Barbuda capsized 12 miles south of St Kitts Conaree village on Tuesday.
Authorities in St Kitts and Nevis say the possibility of finding anyone alive is unlikely, given the circumstances; like depth, water temperature, lack of life jackets, and the ability of the human body to survive over such an extended period in the Atlantic Ocean
The La Belle Michelle, the French boat they were traveling on encountered engine problems and eventually overturned on Tuesday night.
A search and rescue party has been combing the ocean since then but no one else has been found.
The luxury vessel which came to their rescue has been identified as the Genevieve captained by Thomas Auckland.
Meanwhile, Kurt, a survivor, said the boat overturned with all 32 passengers at about 9:30 p.m. in the Atlantic Ocean and it wasn’t until 1:30 a.m. that a yacht rescued them.
“I can’t tell how I managed to survive but I know it was by the grace of God…We stayed in the water for about four hours. The seas were high. We were in the water for four hours. That night wasn’t easy…”, he said.
“I am alive I am not dead. God have me another chance. With time we will give the details about what happened but for now, I just want to say I am grateful to God”
It is unclear whether search efforts will continue into day three as the chances of finding anyone alive grow thinner every day.
All this comes as family and loved ones of those who took that trip are anxiously awaiting the names of those who died
The authorities in St Kitts in Nevis have not disclosed the names of anyone just yet.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said his government will continue to offer refuge in Antigua and Barbuda to the survivors of Tuesday’s events
“We will make appropriate arrangements for the burial of the deceased. We will also make every effort to contact their relatives to advise them of this heartbreaking tragedy. We appeal to the Africans, who are in Antigua and Barbuda, not to be tempted into any schemes such as happened today, but to work with the Government, through our Immigration authorities, to help find acceptable solutions to their circumstances” he added
Please this news is still un clear to us. Our family members are still missing. Please kindly updates us with the list of survival so we know if they are alive or dead.
This is Antigua and it would be a while before you know anything. In Antigua, the authorities move very slowly on the information. I hope you get your answer soon. I hope your family members survive the boat capsized.
That’s not true. In circumstances like this,priority is given the utmost preference.
Please i am looking for my daughter who was in that boat at Antigua that sinks her name is PALVIN NJONGA WACHAM i am Acha Lucas Tezom from Cameron WhatsApp 677910536
My brother is the can u help me too know if he is amount the ones alive
Please could you send any contact adresse for the family members to get direct information
Just call police headquarters
What is the number of the police
Please we need more updates with the list of missing ones
The troma is too much for the families.
I hope thoes that kept blocking them at the airport all the times they tried traveling out are happy now. A Nigeria man bribed them to refuse people from traveling at their airports after buying flight tickets with Cameroon passport so that they can make money which lead to this. Their bloods will be on them.
A Nigerian man bribed whom, someone in Antigua? You can’t fly out of Antigua to the USV I without a visa. And if they are trying to fly out to other Caribbean countries, now that it has been established that the Africans are not tourist, the other countries have closed their borders. Even if they allowed them on a place immigration officials of the destination country will detan them and deport them back to Antigua. But that then creates a problem for the Antiguan Government with the neighboring Caribbean islands.
*Detain*
*Plane* not place
Very regrettable that we are still unable to recover the bodies of the 13 persons and probably will never be able to find and recover them. The least that could have been afforded to them is a proper burial. I am calling on the local Christian Council to arrange a decent memorial send off for these lost victims at an appropriate time. May God Almighty be with them as they rest in their watery grave. ( with tears in my eyes)
It may be hard to find the names. Since the captain most likely didn’t have proper documentation. And even if names were written on a piece of paper, that too is probably at the bottom of the sea. Nothing was computerized. IT was an illegal trip. Don’t expect those on the boat to even know everyone on the boat by name..it is a sad state of affairs.