Tragedy struck in Chateaubelair on Wednesday afternoon around 3:00 when eyewitnesses say that a young man was thrown from a boat he was piloting and disappeared.

The incident occurred about half mile from Chateaubelair bay close to Richmond point.{{more}}

Boats arrived on the scene shortly afterwards, but nothing was seen of the occupant who is believed to be a thrity-year-old Chateaubelair man who now lives in Barrouallie.

The coastguard was also summoned to the area and a search was conducted but no body was recovered.

The wreckage of the boat was brought to shore by the coastguard officers. It is reported that after the occupant fell overboard, the boat kept circling until it crashed into the western side of Islet, the island off Chateaubelair point.

The boat was a blue 13 foot plywood and fibre glass vessel with a 40 horsepower Yamaha outboard engine. The engine was not recovered.