Tag: coast guard

Edgar Garay dies after falling off cliff in Puerto Rico

An Indiana man died after falling off a 70-foot cliff in Puerto Rico while shooting social media videos on Sunday, according to authorities and a report.

Edgar Garay’s submerged body was recovered Monday by Puerto Rico Emergency Bureau divers after he plummeted off the steep coastal cliff near a lighthouse in Cabo Rojo, the US Coast Guard said in a press release.


The body of Edgar Garay was found Monday afternoon.
US Coast Guard

The 27-year-old was on a day trip to the southwestern coast when he was last seen alive around 5:37 p.m. near the edge of the cliff, the US Coast Guard said.

Garay’s brother Carlos told WTHR that he was on the cliff with his cousin who warned him repeatedly not to get too close to the edge while shooting a TikTok video.

“My brother has a TikTok account that he loved to upload videos to,” Carlos Garay reportedly said. “Unfortunately, that was what he was trying to do when he was closer to the edge than he should have been.”

The distraught brother told the news station that Garay was found in an underwater cave with massive head injuries from the fall.

“We express our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Edgar Garay and pray they find closure and strength during this most difficult time,” said Coast Guard Capt. José E. Díaz in a statement.


A lighthouse near the cliff where the Indiana man fell in Puerto Rico.
A lighthouse near the cliff where the Indiana man fell in Puerto Rico.
Getty Images

“We appreciate the efforts of all the Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Police and partner agency emergency responders, especially the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau dive unit that was able to locate Mr. Garay’s body in such a highly inaccessible and challenging environment,” the Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander additionally said.

Aircrafts, including Jayhawk helicopters, and a 154-foot fast response cutter were both used in hopes of finding the Garay. Multiple searches were undertaken Sunday night into Monday before the body was located, the Coast Guard said. 

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Floridians stranded on Pine Island after Ian cuts off road access

The US Coast Guard is organizing a “waterborne operation” to rescue residents of Pine Island, Florida who were cut off from the mainland when Hurricane Ian knocked out its only bridge.

Paramedics and volunteers have already removed some of those stranded there, but are asking the remaining residents to arrive at the Pine Island Fire Department Sunday.

They will be taken by truck to Yucatan Waterfront then transported via boat across the Matlacha Pass.

Pine Island, the largest barrier island off Flordia’s Gulf Coast, suffered some of the worst Hurricane Ian damage, along with the rest of Lee County.

Residents described the horror of being trapped in their island homes as water levels rose to 10 feet in some areas, causing waves to crash in the streets.

Hurricane Ian caused water to split the Florida barrier island into two separate islands.
REUTERS
Aerial photo of Pine Island before Hurricane Ian.
REUTERS
Aerial photo of Pine Island after Hurricane Ian.
REUTERS

Many people who stayed during the storm expected to die, and one elderly man considered taking his own life if help didn’t arrive soon enough, a neighbor said.

At least 35 people have died in Lee County, nearly half of all who have died in Hurricane Ian. An unknown number of people are still missing.

Pine Island’s neighbors, Sanibel and Captiva, suffered a similar fate. The barrier islands were also connected to the Florida mainland by just one causeway, which was severed in multiple places after Ian pummeled the coast.

All three islands are without electricity or water.

With Post wires

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