On June 24, 2026, emergency response teams across Antigua and Barbuda launched a large-scale coordinated search operation at Pigeon Point Beach after a local man was reported missing while swimming. According to initial updates from the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda’s Office of Strategic Communications, the missing person is thought to be a resident of the Swetes community, who entered the ocean for a recreational swim early that same day. Witness accounts confirm that shortly after entering the water, the man began showing clear signs of distress and waved frantically to alert bystanders to his emergency before slipping beneath the water’s surface. He has not been located since that incident.
To maximize the chances of locating the missing swimmer, multiple specialized teams have been deployed to the search zone. The collaborative effort includes trained divers from the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard, professional rescue personnel from the Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue (ABSAR) unit, and additional diving support from a local private diving company. Search teams have been working continuously to comb through the nearshore waters and surrounding seabed around Pigeon Point Beach, covering every feasible area that the missing man could have drifted to.
As the active search continues, law enforcement officials are maintaining constant oversight of the operation, with plans to release new public updates promptly as additional details emerge. Police have also issued a public request asking all non-essential visitors and beachgoers to stay clear of the immediate search perimeter. This restriction is designed to help emergency personnel carry out their search duties without unnecessary disruption, and authorities have appealed for local residents and tourists to respect the request as teams work to resolve the incident.