Search for Andrel Harris continues

Scores of volunteers gathered at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church ,near Pedro St. James to stage a search for media personality Andrew Harris, who has now been missing for two days.

Mr. Harris, age 34 of Bodden Town, was reported missing to police, Wednesday 4 June. He was last seen in the area of Pedro Castle Road, Bodden Town, at approximately 9.30PM, Tuesday 3 June.

Ground, aerial and coastal searches are being conducted in the Pedro Castle area in search of Mr. Harris based on information derived from CCTV and door-to-door checks.

To streamline multi-agency response efforts between Police, Cayman Islands Coast Guard (CICG), members of the public and other agencies, Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) facilitated a partial activation of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), which included coordinating efforts of some of the NEOC emergency support teams including communications, community emergency response teams, first aid services by Red Cross, and activation of a Call Centre for volunteer coordination, as well as CayMind/ Mental Health support.

The CICG conducted search operations on the ocean and utilized data from the Cayman Islands Weather Station to refine key areas. This included the use of underwater equipment which aided visual searches for any items of interest.

During the search an item of clothing was seen but could not be verified as belonging to Mr. Harris at this time.

The RCIPS Air Operations Unit helicopter, and drone operators (private & CIG), coordinated via the RCIPS Drone Team, were also deployed to enhance search capability in dense and wide scale areas.

Concurrent to this, several lines of enquiry were followed throughout the day and based on information gathered a further coordinated search will be conducted on Friday, 6th June, according to police.

To ensure effective coordination and safety, any member of the public volunteering to help with search efforts is to meet at the Cayman Islands Baptist Church at 8:30AM, Friday 6th June, where a briefing will be conducted prior to search commencement.

This remains an active police investigation and Inspector Ian Yearwood, along with other members of the Royal Cayman Islands Police met with the volunteers who were split into teams to cover specific areas within the search grid, earlier today (5th June).

Upon advising the search teams, Inspector Yearwood explained that they should be on the look out for certain items including clothing, a wine bottle, a brown paper bag and a cigar, all of which may have been recently used.

He added that the search teams should not disturb or cut any bushes in the area in an effort to not contaminate any possible evidence.

Inspector Yearwood noted that at the end of the day the goal of the search is to find Andrel and return him safely to his family and loved ones. Officers then handed out pictures of Mr. Harris, along with an information sheet.

Searchers were registered into a database to keep track of the persons involved in the search and the areas in which they would be searching.

Police advised individuals to not use their phones and to be mindful of Mr. Harris’ loved ones during the search.

Mr. Harris is a long-serving member of the Cayman Islands media and has most recently joined the team at Compass Media as an on-air reporter. The community’s outpouring of support and concern is palpable, as the search to find him continues.

He was last seen wearing a dark blue shirt with sleeves rolled up and black pants. He is approximately 5' 9" tall, and of slim build, with dark brown complexion, and has long dreadlocks (neatly kept).

So far the police have carried out ground and aerial searches, and coastal searches in the Pedro Castle Road area in search of Mr. Harris. Police continue to make further checks based on information available at this time.

Police request that anyone who has seen Mr. Harris, or knows of his whereabouts should call 911, or the Bodden Town Police Station at 947-2220.

A statement issued by the RCIPS on the evening of 5th June noted that the police are aware that there is information being circulated in the public regarding the recovery of a body. However, the strategic commanders have made checks with all agencies and groups involved in the search and have confirmed this information to be false.

"The search for the missing person, Andrel Harris, continues and the RCIPS asks that members of the public verify information with authorized and reputable sources - such as the various Government and Police channels available - before sharing and circulating information. False information can cause significant stress on family and friends. We ask that consideration and respect be shown,” noted a statement from the Police Press office.

The statement went on to state that police will update the public on any major developments regarding the search effort for Mr. Harris.