Antigua and Barbuda: Body of 19-year-old recovered after Devil’s Bridge search

Antigua & Barbuda: The body of 19-year-old Zowie Tomlinson was recovered at the Devil’s Bridge on Sunday morning after an overnight search. She reportedly entered the water at Devils’s Bridge late Saturday night.

Reportedly, Tomlinson jumped from Devil’s Bridge and failed to resurface. Following this an emergency response was prompted involving officers from the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda and members of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Coast Guard.

Both land and sea search operations were launched on Saturday night in an effort to find the missing teenager. However, due to poor visibility, the operations were suspended overnight. Challenges like rough sea conditions and operational problems made it unsafe to continue the operation.

The Coast Guard divers returned to the area to continue efforts at first light on Sunday. The authorities later confirmed that Tomlinson’s body was recovered from the water at approximately 7:00 a.m.

Her body was then brought ashore and transported to Coast Guard Headquarters at Deep Water Harbour. A district doctor officially pronounced her dead at around 7:55 a.m.

The police identified the deceased as Zowie Tomlinson who was a 19-year-old student of Pares Secondary School.

Authorities appealed for the family’s privacy to be respected as the police administration extended condolences to Tomlinson’s family and friends. The investigations are ongoing into the circumstances surrounding her death.

Following the tragedy, Women Inspired to Secure Hope (WISH) extended a statement expressing deep sorrow over Tomlinson’s death. They also extended sympathy to her family, friends, classmates, and all those affected.

WISH described this as a painful incident and a reminder to prioritise mental health, noting that many young people struggle with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and feeling of hopelessness.

Details like the cause of death, any eye-witnesses, family statements, suicide note, or the exact circumstances that led to the incident are yet to be investigated. The police officials and authorities are closely investigating this case as it is gaining public attention and sympathy online.