Emergency responders in Tobago faced another difficult day at sea on Wednesday as efforts to find missing toddler Angelo Tobias continued into a second day.
Two-year-old Angelo has been missing since Monday night. His body was seen several times in the sea on Tuesday morning before rough conditions caused it to disappear from sight.
Defence Force officers joined the police, Coast Guard and the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) on Day 2 as they scoured the Goodwood Bay shoreline and around the home of the missing toddler.
Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police Mahalia Bacchus, who is leading the coordinated search, told TTT News that efforts were suspended around 3pm on Wednesday.
“So basically we conducted a search in the areas that the land surrounding where the house where the child was missing from, we have now concluded the search that we did around the bushy areas, we went along the shores, checking between the sargassum that you seeing is heavily manifested in the space there.”
Conditions at sea were even worse than on Tuesday, as thick sargassum seaweed created dangerous obstacles for search efforts.
Head of the Tobago Marine Safety and Security Services Alvin Douglas said they are using the sargassum flow as possible clues to know where to search.
“We were monitoring the sargassum because that is an indicator where the current is taking anything that is floating and by now, if there is any person in the water, it would be mid-water, almost floating.”
He said his team is willing to risk a search by sea on Thursday.
“Unfortunately, it’s impossible to search that body of the coastline via land. It has to be by sea, so we are going to launch our vessel first thing, and we are going to prep for that and come up the coast to see if we can identify anything.”
Mr. Douglas warned that it could be a difficult task even if a body is identified.
“If something like this is to happen, this is probably about the worst area it could happen because it is inaccessible, so even if we find anything, it is going to be pretty hazardous to retrieve. It’s the retrieval that is going to be the issue.”
Acting ASP Bacchus said police will continue to lead land searches, with the help of other officers from various arms of law enforcement, remaining hopeful that they can provide closure to the family.
“If there is any information, any at all, that can be provided that will assist us in going forward, we ask that persons reach out to the police and share this information.”
Meanwhile, residents of Goodwood continue to gather at the scene, offering support to the grieving family.
While it remains unclear how little Angelo left his family’s care and may have ended up in the sea, one villager, familiar with the heartbreaking loss of a child at sea, emphasised the importance of standing in solidarity with the family during this difficult time.
“This is not an easy thing for us to really go through as parents. So I just tell myself, every day I will come as long as God gives me life, health and strength, come, just my presence, will just come and support the family because it is not easy.”
The Tobago House of Assembly is also providing support to the family. In an interview on Talk City 91.1 FM on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Secretary Dr. Faith Brebnor stated that the situation is being closely monitored.
“Standing there with the mom and the grandparents and so forth yesterday, it really broke my heart. As a matter of fact, I got there and I got an instant headache. You know to be somewhere and get an instant headache? I do know that the emergency agencies are going back to try to recover the body if that is the case, but you know we’re still praying for the best.”