Rumours of the bodies of American visitors Oscar Suarez and Magdalena Devil being found off the coast of St Lucia are untrue.
And Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds is pleading with Barbadians to avoid speculation and idle gossip as the families of the missing pair face this trying ordeal.
He was at the time providing an update to the media at Government Headquarters, Bay Street, St Michael this morning. Family members are on island seeking answers.
“What really is most unhelpful is for them to be put through the emotional peaks and troughs of a roller coaster based purely on empty speculation and what is largely idle gossip,” Symmonds said.
He added “in the best interest of all concerned”, daily updates would be issued “through formal means of communication, through the press”, eliminating the need for speculation.
Suarez, 32 and Devil, 25, who were staying at Discovery Bay Hotel in Trents, St James, were reported missing on Monday after they failed to return on jet skis they had rented earlier that afternoon.
Symmonds and acting Commanding Officer of the Barbados Coast Guard Ryan Alleyne confirmed the search continued in earnest.
Alleyne said the United States Embassy had sent a C-130 aircraft as part of the search party, which had gone up from as early as 8 a.m.
The search has expanded along the northern and northeastern coasts to account for the currents, along the southwestern side of Barbados and as far north as Martinique, including the coasts of St Vincent and St Lucia.
The extended 72-hour search for the visitors announced by Prime Minister Mia Mottley is expected to be called off at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow. (RA/SAT)
Members of Magdalena Devil’s family speaking with press secretary Roy Morris (backing) at Government Headquarters this morning.
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