Officials have found the jet ski that a missing vacationing New Jersey couple was riding when they disappeared two weeks ago, about 250miles off the coast of Barbados.
Oscar Suarez, 32, and Magdalena Devil, 25, disappeared on Monday June 24 after hiring the jet ski from Holetown Beach on the island’s western coast.
That jet ski was found on Saturday by the French Navy off the coast of another island called Guadeloupe and the vehicle’s registration was found to match the one that disappeared with the couple.
Despite finding the jet ski, there was no trace of the Montclair couple.
‘It seems to be the jet ski involved in your search-and-rescue operation…Can you confirm this is the missing jet ski?’ The French Naval dispatch said to the Barbados Coast Guard, according to Nation News.
Officials have found the jet ski (above) that a missing vacationing New Jersey couple was riding when they disappeared two weeks ago, found about 250miles off the coast of Barbados
Montclair couple Oscar Suarez, 32, and Magdalena Devil, 25, disappeared on June 24 after jetting into the Caribbean waters on rented jet skis from Holetown Beach on the western coast of Barbados
The couple hasn’t been seen since. Authorities say the couple was wearing life jackets and the Police Marine Unit and the Barbados Coast Guard have conducted extensive searches for Suarez and Devil. A Barbadian Police patrol boat pictured above in Western Barbados
Suarez and Devil arrived in Barbados on June 22 for a one-week vacation in Holetown, went jet skiing two days later, and were never seen again
The jet ski was found on Saturday July 6 near the coast of Guadeloupe, 12 days after the couple disappeared off the coast of Barbados. The jet ski was found about 250 miles from shore
The French Navy then said they’d tow in the vehicle.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Minister of Tourism Kerrie Symmonds said that the families of the missing duo will be notified of the finding.
A police search for the couple was called off last week on July 1.
Last Monday Prime Minister Mottley met with the families of the missing couple at Ilaro Court, expressing regret at the couple’s disappearance and inviting the family to visit the island anytime over the next year at Government’s expense to help them get closure.
Last week distressed family members traveled to Barbados to pass out missing-persons posters on the beach.
‘We are overwhelmed and exhausted. More than anything, we our holding our faith that they will be found,’ Suarez’s sister Susanna Cruz told CNN.
Authorities say the couple was wearing life jackets and the Police Marine Unit and the Barbados Coast Guard have conducted extensive searches for Suarez and Devil.
Investigators have also scoured the couple’s suite at the Discovery Bay Hotel in St. James, but have found no clues to determine their whereabouts.
Police have released these images of Suarez and Devil to help assist in their search
The couple hired the jet ski from Holetown Beach (pictured) on the island’s western coast. An extensive search of surrounding waters has yielded no sign of the pair
Suarez and Devil arrived in Barbados on June 22 for a one-week vacation in Holetown.
Two days after arriving they decided to jet ski on the Caribbean waters.
However, when they didn’t return after about 30 minutes, police and the Barbados Coast Guard searched the waters for them but couldn’t find the coouple or the jet skis.
Suarez’s mother says she texted her son later that day but he never responded, according to ABC.
They have been dating for a year, according to family and friends.
According to her Instagram profile, Devil is an avid baker who runs her own cake-making business named Maggie’s Mad Batter.
Meanwhile, Suarez has two young children from a previous marriage, and his distraught family have pleaded with police to continue their search.
‘Please don’t stop looking. He has a daughter and son to come home to,’ his sister previously told the authorities through ABC News.
Meanwhile, Suarez’s mother says she has been making frantic calls to Barbados to try and help locate her son.
‘I’ve been calling; I call and call the police, the U.S. Embassy in Barbados, they can’t provide me with any answers. They haven’t called me back to let me know what I need to do or find out what’s going on with my son,’ she stated.
Police have released a flyer to the public, urging anyone with information to contact them immediately.
Barbados is grappling with a spike in homicide rates for 2019, and travel experts have issued a warning for tourists to take caution when visiting the Caribbean nation.
Authorities have urged anyone with information to contact them immediately