What began as a desperate, hope-filled search for a missing elderly mother in Freeport ended in heartbreak for a Bahamian family Sunday, when investigators recovered Barbara Lewis’ partially decomposed body from dense foliage off Coral Road, closing the door on any chance the 66-year-old would be brought home alive.
The grim discovery was made shortly before 4 p.m., after police working alongside Lewis’ close relatives launched a drone search of an overgrown area along an unpaved track behind Pioneer’s Loop Subdivision. Lewis, a resident of Spinney Road, was first reported missing to authorities the previous Wednesday, three days after she was last seen by family.
The chain of events that led to her disappearance traces back to a hospital stay for barracuda poisoning. After being treated and discharged from Rand Memorial Hospital, Lewis was set to head home. On the day of her discharge, she waited for her boyfriend, who had brought her to the facility but was later arrested following an outburst over long wait times for care. Unaware of his detention, Lewis eventually began walking home on foot when he failed to return.
Surveillance camera footage captured Lewis along her route home, showing her pausing repeatedly as she traveled. Her daughter, Kenya Adderley, who flew in from Florida to join the search just two days before the body was found, told reporters her mother was already visibly weak and dehydrated from the poisoning, which had caused vomiting and diarrhea. Combined with Lewis’ pre-existing history of seizures, Adderley said the conditions could easily have triggered a fatal episode during the walk.
A key tip from a passing motorist ultimately guided search teams to the area. Adderley told reporters she received information Friday that her mother had been seen crossing from Nansen toward the unpaved track, with food in her hand, as drivers stopped to let her pass. She immediately brought the new intelligence to the Criminal Investigation Department, provided a personal clothing item to help the police K9 unit track Lewis’ scent, and accompanied officers to the site.
When the drone took flight, searchers spotted a buzzard circling overhead and followed the bird’s path. In less than two minutes, the drone captured clear footage of Lewis’ body, roughly 300 feet into the thick underbrush. Family members had actually searched the same general area days earlier, but were unable to navigate the dense foliage on foot to reach the spot where Lewis was found.
Even amid overwhelming grief, Adderley said the family found some small measure of peace in finally locating Lewis, ending the week of uncertainty. She expressed sincere gratitude to law enforcement and local community volunteers who dedicated time and resources to the search. “I was prepared for the worst but hoping for the best. But at least I know we found her,” Adderley said, surrounded by supportive family members at the scene.
Her aunt Barbara Lewis echoed that sentiment, noting the family never abandoned hope of finding her through the days of searching.
In a scathing critique of the hospital that treated her mother, Adderley said she holds Rand Memorial Hospital responsible for Lewis’ death, criticizing staff for discharging her mother without contacting any family members first, given her known seizure disorder. “All of this, unfortunately, is what caused the death of my mom,” she said.
Police have stated they do not currently suspect foul play in Lewis’ death, but investigations remain ongoing. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the official cause of death. For the Lewis family, the next painful step is moving through the formal identification process and making funeral arrangements to lay their loved one to rest.