Randolph Lewis’ lifeless body found at Diamond Beach

Close relatives of 59-year-old Randolph Lewis of Calder say that they are at ease now that his body has been found, after he died by drowning last Friday, May 18.{{more}}

Lewis’ lifeless body was discovered on Saturday, May 19, at Diamond Beach.

According to Police, Lewis, an employee of the Central Water and Sewerage Authority’s Solid Waste Management Unit for the past 12 years, died after he was knocked off a rock into the sea, while fishing at an area calledBoat Rock in Diamond.

Kathy-Ann Holder, daughter of the deceased man said that the she and the rest of the family were saddened by the tragic news.

“We are hurting right now,” she told SEARCHLIGHT.

“It is just shocking to us in terms of what took place,” she continued.

Holder said that she had seen her father twice on that day, the first time when she was making her way to work and during her lunch break when he informed her that he was going on the rock as usual.

She, however, got a call she said, around 4:00 p.m, and was told about what had taken place.

Holder said that when she got to the scene, she began asking questions.

According to the young woman, her father and eight people had gone fishing and she was told that nobody saw when he fell into the water, but that he was seen in the water.

Any thought of venturing in to save Lewis was quickly dashed aside, because of the tide, Holder said she was told.

The search was called off until the following morning when she said that friends and family went to look for her father.

“I didn’t sleep that night, so I figured you know what, he wants us to find him,” Holder said.

She said that the search started in Peruvian Vale and they worked their way down.

A decision was taken to go to the Diamond/Brighton Bay area, where they met up with some of her father’s co-workers and other people who were already looking for Lewis’ body.

The body was discovered a short time later by members of the search party, who said that they saw something rolling in the water, which turned out to be the body of Lewis.

Kathy-Ann and Latisha, another daughter of the deceased, contended that their father was a good swimmer and that he never went fishing alone.

Latisha said that the entire family as saddened by what had taken place, especially Lewis’ grandchildren.

But Kathy-Ann also expressed some dissatisfaction with the manner the operation was conducted by the Coast Guard.

She contended the Coast Guard called off the search too soon, after arriving on the scene late and that had a proper search been conducted, her father may have been found either dead or alive the very day he went missing.

She insists that they did not send in any divers.

According to the woman, the Coast Guard had to be summoned three times before they arrived on the scene.

Lt Rolphie Ragguette of the Coast Guard refutes this.

When contacted on Monday, Ragguette told SEARCHLIGHT that the record shows that the Coast Guard arrived shortly after receiving the call.

Ragguette further explained that the operation was treated as that of a missing person’s report and that the Coast Guard made a sweep of the entire area.

He further maintained that three divers were on board the vessel, but declined to go into the water due to the conditions.

“We cannot save anyone if we cannot save ourselves,” Ragguette said.

The autopsy results are expected to be revealed today, Tuesday.