By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A POLICE officer testified yesterday that he dove into the sea to recover the belongings of two men killed in a boating accident off Rose Island, as a coroner’s inquest into the June, 2024 tragedy got underway.

Police Corporal 3951 Lowe gave evidence before Coroner Kara Turnquest-Deveaux on the deaths of Adriel Rolle, 56, and Sean Laing, 51, who were killed on June 7, 2024, when their vessel struck a reef.

According to police reports, the 32-foot Concept boat had departed a marina for South Andros when it hit a reef near Rose Island, ejecting all three people on board. Officers were alerted to the crash around 9.30am.

The victims were later found by a passing vessel. The lone survivor, Julian Butler, a retired police reservist, was treated for head injuries. The boat reportedly sank while being towed back to New Providence.

Corporal Lowe said he was called to duty by Superintendent Robinson while on vacation with his family. He recalled that Bay Street was closed at the time and he had to use a motorcycle to reach the station.

He described the scene as hectic, with more than 20 officers and members of the media present.

Around 2pm, he arrived at Rose Island aboard a 45-foot police interceptor and observed debris spread over a 20- to 30-foot area. Although he did not see the vessel, he said the reef at the site showed signs of impact.

Corporal Lowe testified that he dove into the water and recovered several items, including a loaded Ruger pistol with a magazine, two cellphones, two pairs of sunglasses, and a broken watch. He said he handed the items over to Superintendent Robinson, who told him to focus on locating the victims’ belongings.

He also saw a white cooler floating among the debris. Lowe told evidence marshal Angelo Whitfield that he would have liked to recover as much wreckage as possible for future investigations and to photograph the items before collecting them.

Video footage shown in court captured him diving near Rose Island while Superintendent Robinson cleared the recovered firearm. Lowe said he was wearing gloves during the retrieval.

He testified that visibility in the area would have been between 50 and 100 feet with moonlight but virtually impossible without it. As a mariner, he said he would have travelled at about 17 knots using GPS and radar and advised that smaller craft should remain ashore in poor weather.

He estimated that the fatal crash likely occurred around 5am that morning.