The official search for fire officer John Lee, who went missing from Montserrat during a solo fishing trip three weeks ago, has ended.
“We have now concluded the search phase for John Lee,” Acting Commissioner of Police Mark Payne told Montserrat Focus on Thursday, 19 September.
“And whilst we remain committed to following any potential lead, the passage of time since John’s disappearance significantly reduces the chances of bringing him home.”
Lee, 49, set out alone from Montserrat on a white 30 foot fishing vessel named the MV Optimum at about 6.30am on 28 August.
He was expected back to shore later that day, but he has not yet returned.
Payne said officers are continuing to gather material to assist with the investigation and to learn any lessons from the “tragic circumstances”.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to John’s family, friends and work colleagues at this time,” the police chief said.
Search mission
Lee’s last location was detected as 20 degrees off Garibaldi Hill, to the south of the island, and his phone was last active at 1.30pm on the day he went missing.
The Royal Montserrat Police Service searched the seas on the Heliconia Star police vessel with support from local groups and coast guards from Antigua, and St Kitts and Nevis.
The only clue as to his whereabouts came when the multi-agency team found a fuel tank from his boat off the coast of Redonda a few days after he went missing.
The Calvin Ayre Foundation based in Antigua assisted with an aerial search in a helicopter on 10 September, but they were unsuccessful in locating him.
Pilot Francois LeBlanc said: “I think that the area that we covered was extensive enough to at least rule out that he wasn’t there.”
The Royal Montserrat Police Service scaled back the search for Lee, who is diabetic, the same day.
The Royal Montserrat Police Service can be reached at (664) 491-2555 and the Montserrat Fire and Rescue Service can be reached at (664) 491-7790.
