(Eleuthera, Bahamas) Superintendent of Police in Eleuthera, Ismella Davis, confirmed that the search for Ryan McCardy and Johnson Blanc continued on Thursday May 9th, 2013, with police personnel conducting a shoreline search north of the incident area.  However, no sign of the missing men were found during the day’s investigation

Family visited the beach again on Thursday but this time, they were there alone.

Ryan and Johnson went missing sometime after 9:30am Sunday May 5th, 2013. 

Summary of Accounts on the day of the incident

Five males boarded a 13ft boat at Unit 2 beach on the north shore of Hatchet Bay. They did not get very far, as one of the men told The Eleutheran in an interview, the boat capsized near the first reef which is visible from the beach.

The men  reported that with the help of a large wave pushing them, they swam back to the rocky shoreline. All five males were said to have made it to the rocks  however, Ryan and Johnson were  reported to have been pulled under and back out to sea possibly by a combination of strong undertow and rip currents. 

They were not wearing life vests.

The skies were overcast and seas very rough around the time of the incident and several hours after. 

The Immediate Response

  • Local Police made “Police Control” in New Providence aware of the situation and they in turn were to inform BASRA, the Defence Force and other relevant parties.
  • Community members and local police searched the shoreline.
  • No rescue boats responded to the area.
  • No sea rescue personnel responded to the beach.
  • A USCG Helicopter was seen high in the sky around 3pm searching out at sea. 
  • The capsized boat was seen not too far from shore, stuck under a rocky shoal by locals doing a shoreline search.

24 hours later

  • The only boat to come to the beach to assist in the search to date has been a small vessel piloted by Mr. Paul Petty of Governor’s Harbour. He responded on the Monday even as reports were being received that the Defence Force was being delayed due to weather.
  • The USCG Helicopter was seen again on Monday afternoon.
  • Shoreline searches were done on the beach and rocks.

48 hours later

  • The Defence Force came into the opposite coast of Hatchet Bay on a small boat and drove by automobile over to Unit 2 beach, where four divers participated in a search lasting about five hours. It was done primarily if not exclusively by snorkeling.  Nothing significant resulted from this dive. They did dive to the boat and reported it was in bad condition.
  • No boats searched on this day. 
  • Shoreline searches were done on the beach and rocks.


This Defence Force craft transported the divers to the dock in the town of Hatchet Bay, on the opposite coast to where the incident occurred. It was not used in the search


Mr. Paul Petty of Governor’s Harbour took this boat , from Governor’s Harbour to the beach in Hatchet Bay, to assist in the search

72 hours later

  • Defence force divers with tanks and with the assistance of Paul Petty’s boat searched what they described as a wide area and by 1:30pm wrapped up their operation.
  • No other searches were done on the water on this day.

96 hours later

  • Police reported a shoreline search was done north of the incident  area.

 


Family members of both missing men hearing that the Defence Force dive search was over and nothing significant had been found. Members of the Defence Force first appeared on the beach in Hatchet Bay 48 hours after the men went missing.