Cops rescue sea-bathing doctors

Days after the Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith was able to rescue one of his officers from drowning, on Thursday 21 January 2021, two of his officers also took on the role as lifeguards, when they rescued four doctor friends who got into difficulties while bathing off the North Coast.

RHONDOR DOWLAT-ROSTANT

Days after the Commissioner of Police Gary Griffith was able to rescue one of his officers from drowning, on Thursday 21 January 2021, two of his officers also took on the role as lifeguards, when they rescued four doctor friends who got into difficulties while bathing off the North Coast.

According to a police report, at about noon, PC Sampson of the Blanchisseuse Police Station was on duty at the station when he received a phone call reporting that a group of persons were experiencing difficulties whilst bathing at the Mon Poui Beach, approximately one mile from the Marianne Spring Bridge.

PC Sampson and his colleague, PC Quintero, of the San Juan Substation who was present at the time of the call, both responded.

On arrival at the scene, they were shown where the victims were having trouble.

The officers saw two men stranded approximately 150 feet out to sea, clinging unto a rock. Both Sampson and Quintero went into action and got into the rough waters, swimming out to sea equipped with life jackets and buoys, in an effort to rescue the victims.

The officers reportedly had challenges themselves while attempting to reach the victims trapped on the rock.  However, they persisted and eventually managed to successfully rescue the men, both of whom suffered several injuries about their bodies from being battered on the rocks.

The group of men identified themselves as doctors assigned to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

They are 26-year-old Moses Paul, of Lendore Village Chaguanas; 23-year-old Nicholas Bengie, of Railway Road, Arouca; 34-year-old Vijai Ramkissoon, of Sister’s Road, Williamsville; and 27-year-old Cody Sandasie, of Garib Street, Ben Lomond, Williamsville.

The men told the police officers that at about 12:45, while bathing at the Mon Poui Beach, they all got into difficulties in the water, with two of them being swept out to sea by the ocean currents, while the other two men were successful in returning to shore and calling for help.

Last Sunday, Griffith saved one member of his own security detail from drowning at Store Bay, Tobago.

Griffith said he and the officer were about to board a vessel from a dinghy about 100 metres from the shoreline when the officer slipped and fell into the ocean and got into difficulty.

Griffith, who was the only person on the vessel at the time, was forced to dive in and keep the officer afloat.  It was a couple of minutes before Griffith was able to get assistance and get the officer back onto the vessel.