NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Residents and community leaders on Mangrove Cay, Andros, have continued their week-long search in adverse weather conditions for George Johnson, mid-60s to early 70s, a retiree, who was last seen at his home last week Monday.
According to residents, Johnson visited the Bank of the Bahamas earlier that day before returning home around 5.30pm.
Johnson, an asthmatic, is known to walk short distances to get around and collect crabs, but does not go far due to his ailment, according to Christopher Smith, a pastor of New Zion Baptist Church who has organized a search party in conjunction with local authorities.
He told Eyewitness News that while residents are praying for Johnson’s safe return, his condition and age is concerning as the days go by.
“On the islands, we tend to keep a close watch of each other,” Smith said.
“With him being an elderly person, they didn’t see him, so the police were informed and we started to search the next day looking for him.
“By Tuesday a lot of people didn’t know, but obviously by the following day a lot of people knew and started looking. And then, on Thursday and Friday, a community effort was mounted.
“People started combing the whole neighborhood, the beachside; we walked through the side roads because we couldn’t tell where he went, and the fact that because he’s asthmatic he wouldn’t have really gone that far.”
The heavy rainfall yesterday somewhat hampered the search efforts, but residents spread out through the community on Sunday despite the adverse weather.
Smith described Johnson as quiet, calm and always smiling.
He said the Mangrove Cay resident did not have any immediate family on the island, but residents and his neighbors accepted him as one of their own.
Johnson has lived on Mangrove Cay for more than 30 years.
“At this hour, were certainly more and more concerns about what’s really happening to him,” Smith said.
“This is a real, real concern to this community.
“He is a calm kind of person, soft-spoken, really smiling all the time. He is a nice guy and he lives by himself.”
Smith said the Royal Bahamas Police Force has provided residents and volunteers with vests and water as officers assist with the search.
Asked if he feared the worst, Smith said: “I’m hopeful. We’ve had in the past one or two persons gone who have showed up.
“One of the concerns that we’re all thinking about is the health condition and at his age.
“That is certainly adding to our fears about what might have happened to him.”
