Tragedy at Mullet Bay Beach

While in St Maarten at Mullet Bay Beach on Sunday March 26 we witnessed the recovery of the bodies of two local young men (Jeff Stephane and Samuel Blaise both age 22). They had disappeared the day before on Saturday. The coast guard and a dive boat were on the scene looking for the 2 men. While we were there, a man in a white Tee shirt discovered one of the bodies. It was a very sad scene since the families of the victims were watching from shore.

Barry borrowed Wendy's dive mask and ran into the water. He mistakenly thought a man had just went under and wanted to try to save him. It was Barry who located the body in some seaweeds about 25 - 40 feet off shore in 7 feet of water. (right in front of where we were sitting) He directed the coast guard boat to the spot and they hauled him aboard. Shortly after, while they were still pulling the first man from the water, the other body was located about 200 yards down the beach towards the rocky point.

Click on the clipping to enlarge it.

A swimmer in a white tee shirt originally found the body under the water near shore. He reported to security who then summonsed additional help.

Anxious family members and friends wait frantically on shore.

Police and security shore side.

Barry uses Wendy's mask to find the body of one of the drowned men. He didn't know at the time that the men had drowned the day before. He couldn't understand why there wasn't more people helping in the search.

Coast guard retrieving the body of the first man.
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