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DPS: ‘Missing’ report was miscommunication
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Posted on Nov 17 2020
The Department of Public Safety responded to two missing fishermen report early last Saturday evening, but later determined that it was a case of miscommunication on the swimmers’ part.
In a statement from DPS spokesperson Dre Pangelinan, he said the swimmers who went out spearfishing at Susupe Beach last Saturday were accounted for as of 7pm Saturday night.
Further investigation uncovered that there was a miscommunication between the four fishermen that prompted two of the men to call in a missing persons’ report.
Pangelinan said that DPS got a call from two of the four spearfishermen at around 6pm, that two of their companions were missing. They told police they had gone spearfishing and only two returned to land.
“The group went out at 11am and only two returned. They reported two who were overdue to return,” Pangelinan said.
One of the supposed missing fishermen was found at Minacho Atdao at around 6:30pm and he was waiting for his partner who was also presumed missing.
The man who was found at Minachom Atdao told police that he and his partner split from their other two companions before 2pm but the last time he saw his partner was at a buoy. He came to shore at around 5pm and could no longer spot his partner.
Police later learned that the last missing fisherman actually went home at around 3pm without telling his companions that he was done for the day.
“We contacted the fisherman and we verified that he was home safely. All the fishermen were safe. [One] just didn’t mention that he was going home. [The other missing swimmer] did not mention to [to his companions] that he was going to Minachom [Atdao]. That’s where the mix-up happened,” said Pangelinan.
At the scene, Saipan Tribune met with the two fishermen who reported that their companions were missing. The two were 16 and 17 years old, while the two presumed missing were 26 and 16 years old.
The group have fished together before and are experienced in spearfishing. They said this was the first time that an incident like this has happened to them.
