The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Coast Guard has been called upon to assist in the search and rescue operation for John Lee, a missing fire officer from Montserrat. Officials have confirmed they are closely monitoring the situation after being formally notified a few days ago, and they have pledged to do their utmost to support regional partners in finding Lee.

The ABDF Coast Guard’s assistance has been sought in locating the missing Montserrat fire officer. Montserratian fire officer John Lee, who is reportedly diabetic, went missing after embarking on a solo fishing trip aboard the MV Optimum around 6:30 am on Wednesday. Since then, neither Lee nor the white 30-foot fishing boat, owned by Sheldon Carty, has been seen.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Martinique is also involved in the coordinated search efforts, alongside the Coast Guard from St. Kitts. Beaches and inlets around the British small island territory have been searched as concerns grow for the 42-year-old man who failed to return from his expedition.

Search parties are conducting visual inspections of all possible locations, with helicopter searches and assistance from service provider Flow, which is providing updates related to Lee’s phone location. Montserrat officials reported that Lee last used his phone around 1:30 pm in an area located 20 degrees south of the island before the phone experienced a rapid shutdown and now goes straight to voicemail.

There is growing concern that the significant delay between the time Lee left the island and the start of the search around 9 pm that evening could complicate rescue efforts, especially considering his diabetic condition, which may require medication and could lead to serious health issues.

Commissioner Mark Payne of the Montserrat Police Force mentioned that Lee’s phone might have “run out of energy or slipped overboard,” but there is still hope that Lee could have made it safely to shore somewhere on the island.

“Many people are out there searching, but our best hope is that he has actually made it to shore but might be incapacitated due to his condition. We have police officers physically searching the entire coastline of the island, but our greatest asset in such situations is often the general public,” said Commissioner Payne.

“If any member of the public has seen John Lee, a boat floating offshore, or a boat on the beach, please contact us immediately. We would much rather investigate false reports than miss out on vital information,” Commissioner Payne added.

Despite Lee’s training in search and rescue and survival skills, the situation remains critical as efforts continue to locate him.