On 12 June 2022 at about 6:56am, the Coast Guard received a report of a man who fell into the water near Pillar of Hercules. The initial report received by the Coast Guard indicated the he could not swim and was in distress. He was one of two men who reportedly went line fishing in the area when the incident occurred.
Upon receiving the report, the Coast Guard immediately prepared and sent out an Urgent Marine Radio Broadcast on VHF channel 16, which requested that any vessel in the vicinity of the reported area should provide assistance. Coast Guard also deployed its response vessels to the area to conduct a search for the missing man.
The first Coast Guard vessel arrived on scene at about 7:33am and commenced the search. The second vessel arrived on scene with a Coast Guard diver and joined the search at approximately 8:50am. The body was found at approximately 0858am and retrieved from the water by the Coast Guard diver.
The body was taken to Nelsons Dockyard where the body was turned over to police and later identified on location by his sister, as Mr Winston Charles. The district doctor arrived on location and, after checking the body, pronounce Mr Charles dead at approximately 11:07am.
The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force would like to extend condolences to the family of the deceased as they mourn this tragic loss.
The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard (ABDF CG) is committed to the safety of all individuals who use our waters for various recreational and commercial purposes. We advise all persons who operate near or in our waters to exercise extra care and caution and to be safe at all times.
