Tobago: Tragic drowning incident at Swallows Beach, family outing turns fatal

A formative Sunday afternoon family outing ended in tragedy when 69-year-old Bernard Morris of Mt St George lost his life in a drowning incident at Swallows Beach in Crown Point.

The day had begun as just another family beach lime, where Bernard, his brother, and his niece had arrived at Swallows Beach by 2:30 PM. Together, they waded into the water, anxious to have a peaceful afternoon at the sea.

Being small, with very calm water, Swallows Beach does attract its share of both locals and visitors to that part of the island.

Moments later, Bernard’s brother and niece needed to get out of the water for a bit to meet their driver who was at wait, leaving Bernard in the shallow water. He seemed comfortable, and so they did not think that he would be affected due to their brief absence.

However, a shock awaited them when they returned after a mere five minutes. Bernard lay on his stomach, face down in the water, and did not respond. The situation, therefore, became panicky as they tried to get his response to their call, but he still did not respond.

Realizing that Bernard was in serious trouble, they called for assistance without hesitation. Police and Emergency Health Services responded very fast, and help was rushed to the scene. When they arrived at the scene, the responders started administering CPR to Bernard to try and revive him.

It was urgent as they worked on him tirelessly to restore his breathing and pulse. All efforts proved futile as Bernard still lay unresponsive. He was rushed to the Scarborough Regional Hospital where the medical personnel picked up the effort to save his life. Bernard was pronounced dead at 3:30 PM, an hour since it all began.

News of Bernard Morris’s passing sent shockwaves of grief throughout the Mt St George community, to which he was a well-known and greatly loved man.

The police investigation following his death is still ongoing with cause yet to be determined. While Swallows Beach is generally considered a safe beach, this incident is an unwelcome reminder of just how unpredictable the ocean can be. Even good swimmers get into dangerous situations, sometimes fatal.

The investigation is still on, but Bernard’s family and friends are yet to come to grips with the loss of a loved one in their family. This sad incident should serve as a reminder to always be careful in the sea, even in what could appear to be perfectly safe waters, and never ignore what is happening around at any time.