The mysterious disappearance has become a concern in the Caribbean Islands. According to multiple sources including the British Broadcasting Corporation and New York Post, several recent cases of disappearances including Roman Mussabekov, a Russian-Canadian tourist, Orden David and Brian Tarrence have taken place in the Caribbean islands, particularly in Antigua and Barbuda. These incidents of disappearance involve both locals and tourists. The families of the victims are consequently left with the pain of not knowing the fate of their loved ones and there is a sense of unease among residents of the Caribbean Islands, which consist of over 7000 islands, reefs and cays. But whether and how much mysterious disappearances in the Caribbean Islands can be addressed remains uncertain.
Various reasons are responsible for disappearances in the Caribbean Islands —located in the southern Caribbean Sea — that are often difficult to address. In addition to the scientific, there are speculative explanations of disappearances. But among the reasons, strong ocean currents, involvement in illegal organized activities such as robbery, kidnapping or other forms of violence, sudden and severe weather changes and navigational challenges probably play a vital role in mysterious disappearances. Notably, the lack of effective law enforcement and corruption has probably created an environment in the region where individuals may be targeted and disappear without a trace. But several causes including limited resources, dense bushland, remote and rugged terrain of some Caribbean islands and the vastness of the ocean make it challenging to locate missing persons and rescue them.
Photo credit; https://edition.cnn.com/.
But, hopefully saying, legal, investigative and other efforts have been made, leading to an increased demystification of the disappearances and their causes in the Islands and raising the hopes for addressing the concern. Authorities in the Caribbean Islands, particularly in Antigua and Barbuda — where such disappearances are more compared to other Caribbean Islands countries — have initiated several measures, including investigations over the incidents, increased police presence and the establishment of a missing persons task force, though the outcomes of the task force is yet to be notable. Some islands have established community engagement and awareness-raising campaigns. Many local communities take an active role in searching for missing individuals and raising awareness about disappearances.
But various flaws in the efforts of the Caribbean Islands lead to limited successful outcomes. The identification of the causes has remained unclear and the missing persons have remained missing in many cases, despite growing efforts, making the causes mysterious and speculative, along with leading to difficulty in making effective efforts to address disappearances. Pertinent saying, many in the Caribbean Islands believe that mysterious disappearances are related to the supernatural or the infamous “Bermuda Triangle”, located in the Atlantic Ocean near the Caribbean and known for its history of mysterious disappearances of ships and planes. But there is also a lack of international collaboration and coordination between different agencies within the country.
Photo credit: https://www.newsbreak.com/.
It is vital to address the mysterious disappearances in the Caribbean Islands and save lives. But, for this, a multi-faceted approach is crucial. This includes improving police training and resources, establishing dedicated missing persons units and improving search and rescue capacity, emphasizing the identification of the causes if mysterious disappearances, fostering a culture of accurate reporting and implementing preventative measures like safety training for tourists before going to the Caribbean Islands. The improved capacity of the authorities to search and search and rescue will be helpful — more successfully.
But the efforts need to be strengthened in several countries including Antigua and Barbuda. International collaboration is also needed to share resources and expertise in the investigations of missing individuals and the causes of disappearances. But stronger actions from local communities will immensely help. Among others, awareness-raising campaigns need to be strengthened on the causes behind the disappearances and safety measures.
