ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Antiguan authorities Friday said they had suspended the search for a boat captain, Philippe Daniel Jules, who went missing after reportedly falling overboard while sailing from Antigua to Dominica on Tuesday night.

The Coast Guard said that the boat with five crew members and six passengers had cleared Customs here on Tuesday and was moving towards Dominica “and somewhere between six and ten nautical miles northeast of Guadeloupe…Jules was either struck by the mast of the sailing vessel or he fell overboard as a result of trying to avoid being struck”.

The vessel was diverted to Guadeloupe, where it remains docked as authorities carried out search-and-rescue operations across nearby waters.

But after several days of aerial and marine searches, officials have now confirmed that the effort to locate Jules has been suspended.

The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Coast Guard has expressed regret that official notice of the incident was received only during the early daylight hours the following morning, resulting in a delayed response and reduced likelihood of a swift recovery.