2 drown in another Forbidden Island tragedy

A 6-year-old girl drowned while a 16-year-old boy also died when he jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue the girl and her sister after they and three others encountered rough waters and waves inside a cave at Forbidden Island in Kagman over the weekend.

The tragedy stunned the community as it occurred on Friday or just a day after the people in the Commonwealth celebrated New Year’s Day. The unfortunate incident happened as the death of four students at the same cave in March 2007 is still fresh from the mind of the families and people.

Department of Public Safety commissioner James Deleon Guerrero said 6-year-old Hadassah Murphy was pronounced dead at the Commonwealth Health Center by Dr. Gregory Kotheimer due to drowning on Friday.

Timothy Wesley Jr., 16, was transported to CHC, where a doctor pronounced him dead at 4:47pm on Saturday. He is a junior student at Southern High School.

The four survivors are Paul Michael Murphy, 32; Heaven Murphy, 8 years old; Walter Wesley, 21; and Trevor Kershaw, 29.

Paul Murphy sustained multiple abrasions throughout the body. His daughter, Heaven, had abrasions on the left knee. Walter Wesley and Kershaw didn’t have injuries.

Timothy and Walter Wesley are cousins.

Walter Wesley and Kershaw are friends and members of the U.S. Air Force. They arrived on the island for vacation last Jan. 1, Saipan Tribune learned.

At a press briefing on Saturday at 1:15pm, DPS commissioner Deleon Guerrero said the group of six hiked down to Forbidden Island at 9am.

Deleon Guerrero said at 11am, the group decided to get into the grotto or cave area.

While inside the cave area, they encountered rough waters and waves, causing them to struggle to hold on. Sisters Heaven and Hadassah Murphy were swept out by waves.

This prompted Paul Murphy and Timothy Wesley to jump into the water in an attempt to rescue the girls. Paul Murphy recovered his two daughters and took them to an area with calmer waters.

Timothy Wesley, however, was seen struggling to hold on to the rocks within the water.

Paul Murphy started performing CPR on Hadassah, while Walter Wesley and Trevor Kershaw ran to the shore to attempt to call for help.

Walter Wesley and Kershaw were not immediately successful in calling for help due to the area having no cellular signal. The two proceeded to higher ground, where the trail is located until they managed to call for help.

Deleon Guerrero said DPS Central Dispatch received a report about the incident on Friday at 12:12pm.

Police units responded and met with Walter Wesley and Kershaw, who stated that there were four other individuals who were swept out by the waves inside the cave area.

The commissioner said a rescue operation ensued and three of the individuals—Paul Murphy and his two daughters—were recovered along the shoreline and were rushed to CHC for treatment.

Deleon Guerrero said a helicopter from the U.S. Navy based in Guam arrived an hour later after being notified about the incident.

The helicopter hoisted a rope where Paul Murphy, who was carrying his daughter Hadassah, hung on to. The chopper airlifted the two and transported them to CHC.

The search and rescue operation for Timothy Wesley then commenced by DPS Boating Safety and Fire Search and Rescue that launched Zodiac II and III rescue boats and a fireboat.

Joining the research were the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, Commonwealth Ports Authority, and the CNMI Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

The aerial and sea search and rescue operations for Timothy Wesley was called off on Friday at 6:30pm. The search operation at Forbidden Island and surrounding area resumed the following morning.

When DPS commissioner Deleon Guerrero conducted a press briefing Saturday at 1:15pm, he disclosed that Hadassah Murphy was pronounced dead and at that time, the search efforts for Timothy Wesley were still ongoing.

On Saturday late afternoon, Deleon Guerrero confirmed with Saipan Tribune that the body of Timothy Wesley was already recovered.

DPS police spokesman Travis Hurst later released more information, confirming that that search and rescue team recovered at 3:18pm Saturday, the body of Timothy Wesley.

Hurst said the body of Timothy Wesley was found under water 15 to 25 feet away from the cave area.

“The body was under water and appeared to had been stuck in a gap in the rocks,” Hurst said.

The DPS information officer said the father and uncle positively identified Timothy Wesley’s body at the Smiling Cove Marina at 4:39pm Saturday.

Hurst said Timothy Wesley was transported to CHC, where Dr. Kotheimer pronounced him dead.

Regarding the question as to who made the call to DPS for help, Deleon Guerrero said Kershaw and Walter Wesley, cousin of deceased Timothy Wesley, were able to swim safely to the rocks and then climbed to the top where the trail is located.

“Communication in the area is very poor, there’s no radio signal,” he said. “Communications all along in the area is poor and somewhat created delay for them calling for help.”

The commissioner said there is actually a warning sign about dangerous waves at Forbidden Island that’s posted right at the entrance of the trail.

Deleon Guerrero said that area is quite rough because open water is coming in to the cave at any given time.

“It’s just a very, very dangerous area to be in,” he said.

Deleon Guerrero said no matter how familiar a person about the area and how good a swimmer is, when waves of big magnitude approach, there is just really no much a person can do.

“I think people should be really, really careful when it comes to going to places such as those,” he said. “In this particular regard, we’re talking about 8- and 6-year-olds being brought down to that area. It’s very unfortunate.”

He said clearly they would like to see communication access be improved not just there but the entire Laolao Bay area.

“Perhaps someone could assist us in improving the quality of communications within that area. That would be helpful to public safety in times like this,” he said.

In March 2007, four Korean students (three from Northern Marianas College and one Mt. Carmel School) drowned at Forbidden Island when a big wave dragged them to the reef line. The body of the fourth victim was recovered by search and rescue team the following day of the incident.

About 17 Korean students hiked to Forbidden Island and proceeded to the cave. Nine to 10 students went out to a small opening of the cave that leads to the reef line. A big wave then struck the group.

The tragedy also happened on a Friday as the CNMI celebrated Commonwealth Covenant Day.

Forbidden Island is an isolated rock formation located at the northeastern tip of Laolao Bay. Many people have died in the area due to drowning in the past few years. The bodies of most of the victims were never recovered.