The drowning death of 21-year-old Darius Cadogan of Mount Brevitor, St Peter, has prompted a seasoned water sports professional to urge Barbadians and visitors alike to avoid the waters off the West Coast when sea conditions are rough.
Jeremy Payne would also like to see systems put in place by the Coast Guard for coastal patrols to deter people from going into the water when advisories are issued.
On Sunday, he was one of the rescuers who ventured into the choppy waters at Queens Street beach, just north of Cobblers Cove Hotel, where he works along with his colleague Roger Springer, in a bid to save four swimmers who had gotten into difficulty in the current-riddled waters.
Cadogan was one of them. He had been on the shoreline when, according to eyewitnesses, he was struck by a wave and pulled out to see. Efforts to save him were unsuccessful. On Tuesday morning around 9:45, Cadogan’s body was seen floating in the sea at Heywood’s beach, St James and recovered just after 10 a.m. by two fishermen who pulled it ashore. Police are conducting investigations into the incident and are treating it as a suspected drowning.
Payne told Barbados TODAY rough seas along the coast are a normal thing around this time of year as the cooler fronts come from North America and the cold water hits the North of Barbados with the warm water.
“So, we were expecting this. On Friday, there was the Met Office warning and that was one of the worst days I’ve seen around here all my life.
“So, when you see this, just stay away from the sea because the undertows are like 15, sometimes even 20 knots with swells up to 10 feet. When you see this weather, stay away from the water whether you are a good swimmer or not,” the seasoned water sports operator urged.
Recounting the conditions of the water that day, he said outside of the rough seas, high winds and undertow, there was no visibility in the water.
“The sea currents were running straight in towards the reef where the swell is about eight feet or 10 feet. So even if good divers, good swimmers go in there, they would get equipment damaged or they might be hurt…. Even if you had the best equipment, there’s nothing you can do down there because it was so cloudy and so murky and so strong and powerful.”
Springer urged the Coast Guard and relevant authorities to bolster safety measures during the winter months, especially when the sea conditions are challenging. He suggested implementing beach patrols along the West Coast to ensure swift responses to any emergencies that may arise.
“As it stands, if anything happens, they must come from Bridgetown. I think they can have daily patrols up and down the coast making sure nobody is out swimming in the sea. If you see people swimming, send them back to shore and things like that . . . because it takes so long to come from Bridgetown,” he said. “I think that’s one of the things they have to look at. When the surf is up during the winter months, have a patrol boat just moving up and down the west coast of Barbados.”
(RG)
