Plane search continues

by Adrian Codogan

The search for SVG Air Aero Commander 500, J8 VAX continued on the northwestern side of the mainland.

On Sunday December 3rd a search party of coastguard and police officers along with two civilians Verden Edwards and Clem Derrick went to Morne Garu Mountains to look for the plane.

“When we receive information, whether or not we think the source is credible we have to investigate and continue to search,” Commander James of the SVG Coastguard told SEARCHLIGHT. {{more}} According to James a woman from Rose Hall reported seeing a bright flash over the mountains on Sunday, November 19 around the time the plane disappeared.

The search started around 11 am from the Petit Walliabou peak and worked its way up to Morne Garu also known as Mount Koshong.

“There was a lot of fog as we got higher but were able to search some valleys, there are a lot of areas that we didn’t search,” Derrick who led the party said.

When asked if he thinks the search should be abandon he replied “No way! I think that they should bring in a helicopter and coordinate it with a ground search, you have to realize that these are primary forests, they have never been cultivated they are thickly wooded with huge trees.”

The search party returned to Chateaubelair at 8 pm.

On Sunday November 19th J8 VAX left Canouan at 6:42 pm piloted by Dominic Gonsalves with Rasheed Ibrahim aboard. The pilot contacted the tower at E T Joshua at 6:51pm and was never seen nor heard from again.

During the days following the disapearance, numerous searches ensued in the Grenadines waters using aircraft and boats.

Items from the plane were recovered but neither the aircraft nor its occupants were found.

SVG Air is convinced that the two may still be alive.