THREE STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR AFTER MARTINIQUE TRIP

There are more questions than answers surrounding the disappearance of three of five men who are alleged to have left the French island of Martinique on June 18th this year and have not been seen by their families since.{{more}}

Failing to return to St. Vincent from the trip are Edson Yearwood of Glen, Richard Sayers of Owia and Sandy Bay resident Ron John Ballantyne.

SEARCHLIGHT caught up with Pearl Lewis, mother of the 35-year-old Ron John, at her home in Sion Hill, Sandy Bay.

The 62-year-old mother of seven, was visibly upset at the fact that her son did not return with Anthony Nanton also of Owia and Union Island native Keron Walters who were also on the trip, but came home on Friday August 8 after being away for almost two months.

Lewis fears the worst for the missing men, and believes that her son will not return.

“I think they kill him. I think he dead the same night.”

The grieving woman said that the last time she saw her son was when he was leaving to go to nearby Owia.

She understands that the father of two boys joined his friend Sayers and Walters in Owia on the journey to Martinique to pick up Nanton and Yearwood, who were left stranded in the French speaking country.

Ballantyne, a seasoned fisherman, captained the boat to Martinique that left about 6pm.

“I start calling his phone about seven o’clock, but he never answer. I did not know that he was going out to sea, because if I had known I would have stopped him.”

It was not until she received calls days later from a daughter and other concerned residents that she realized that something was wrong.

Lewis is no stranger to such tragedies; she lost her husband to the ocean in 1986.

Twenty-two years ago, her husband and five other men travelled to St. Lucia but never returned.

Lewis said that she is hurting because the survivors of the ordeal did not come to her to tell her what happened to her son.

She claims that the first time she heard what happened on the trip was during a report on SVG TV on Tuesday evening.

Lewis said that listening to Nanton and Walters explain their ordeal, caused her to ask herself questions about the matter.

“Why would my son who was the captain of a boat jump off the boat?”

“If he was in difficulty, why didn’t he call me?”

“Why didn’t they (Nanton and Walters) make a report to the police when they come home?”

Lewis hopes that her questions would be answered soon.

“I want satisfaction for my son, I want to know what happen to him.”

SEARCHLIGHT’s efforts to reach the survivors of the ordeal were unsuccessful, and the mothers of the other missing men could not be reached for comment.

According to police reports, Nanton and Walters were detained and questioned following their return to St. Vincent and the Grenadines before being released.

“My son was a very respectful and helpful guy, and I believe that trying to help his friend is what caused him to be missing now.”