Sint Maarten. Elderly man rescued from the coastline

On Wednesday February 26th at approximately 08.15 p.m. a phone call came into the Police Department from a family living in the Little Bay area informing them that an elderly family member who suffers from Parkinson’s disease had gone missing and had not returned.

This person, a seventy year old man, had left the gated premises earlier during the afternoon probably around 04.00 p.m. A

police patrol was immediately sent to the residence in question to investigate what had taken place. 

After receiving all the necessary information several other police patrols, the Coastguard and Sint Maarten Sea Rescue were mobilized to search for the elderly victim.

It was after 10.00 p.m. when the search-team from the Coast Guard spotted the victim sitting on the rocks along the Great Bay coast between Divi Little Bay Hotel and Sonesta Great Bay Hotel.

Due to the sea condition the Coast Guard could not get close enough to the shore to reach the victim. Immediately three police officers involved in the search walked along the coastline and getting into the water up to the waist deep to reach the victim.

The victim was in no condition to help him self. A rescuer from the Sint Maarten Sea Rescue assisted the police officers in taking the victim to a location where the victim and rescuers could get on board of the rescue vessel. The victim was then taken to the Captain Hodge’s Wharf to an awaiting ambulance which immediately took him to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for further treatment.

Due to the good working relation and coordination by these emergency services to victim was swiftly removed from coastline and given proper medical attention.