On Thursday June 27, 2013 a local diver, Derek Astwood recovered the body of a 43-year-old North Back Salina man who several children saw walking out to an area of water above his waist just off the shores of Front Street in Grand Turk.
The body was located in 5 feet of water.
Police Public Relations Officer Audley Astwood said the Police responded to Front Street on Grand Turk after they got a call about a person in the water around 7:12PM yesterday (Thursday June 27, 2013). At the time of the initial call for emergency assistance, the caller stated that the man was last seen above water some 15 to 20 minutes prior.
Special Constable Astwood said the man, whose name was not immediately released, said that it was reported that the man was walking in the water when he plunged into the water, and never resurfaced.
The children who witnessed this; after several minutes not seeing the man resurfaced became concerned and reported the matter to the Grand Turk Police Station.
Astwood said investigators searched all the places the man could have gone if he swam to shore, but he wasn’t at any of those locations. With darkness already setting in, it presented a challenge for the Police officers on the scene but with the aide of local diver Derek Astwood, the man’s body was found within an hour later. CPR was immediately performed on the man that was recovered from the water by a witness on the scene. Ambulance personnel took over and continued to administer CPR shortly there after while en route to the Cockburn Town Medical Center in Grand Turk. The man remained unresponsive despite the efforts of hospital personnel to resuscitate him.
He was pronounced dead by Dr. Braithwaite at 8:56PM. Foul play is not suspected and investigations are continuing.
