Detective Brian Penn of the Police Canine Department (right) with recently acquired canine, Ciro, along with Alvin Bolton from the Police Tactical Unit combed a forested area in Pockwood Pond on Monday afternoon for Bernard Forbes who disappeared from his family on September 18. (Photo by Gordon French)

The search was conducted a few meters from the missing man’s home.

Based on information provided by the Forbes family, Penn said that they had decided to search the area which is alongside a road route leading from the missing man’s home and the highway.

It was the first time that the dog had been used in a search and rescue operation in the Territory, and it was the third attempt by Penn to locate the missing man.

With sunlight becoming deplorable by the minute, Penn assisted by Alvin Bolton from the Police Tactical Unit followed Ciro through the dense area, but moments later the three returned empty handed much to the dismay of Bernard’s brother, Earl and another cousin who waited patiently as the search was being conducted.

Forbes is 34 years old, 6 feet, 150 pounds, slim built and was last seen in the Pockwood Pond area on September 18 wearing a purple t-shirt with a New Testament Church of God logo, black pants and white sneakers.

According to Earl, Bernard had left the family home to empty a trash can at a dumpster located about a ¼ mile from the family’s home as he usually does. However, Earl related that his brother is mentally handicapped and on his way back from the dumpster, he would usually head to the forested area to eat fruits from the numerous trees.

“He loves the fruits there and because he is not mentally stable, he often looses track of the time. We are very worried about his health. If he is in the area, he could have gotten a fever from all the rain that was falling at the time he disappeared,” Earl asserted.

He added that he grew worried about his brother’s whereabouts when he found the empty trash can under a tree halfway between the dumpster and his home, but his initial reaction was that his brother may have gone for fruits.

According to Earl, his brother could have also been picked up by someone who felt he needed a ride somewhere, but because of his inability to communicate effectively, the driver could have let him out at any spot between East End and West End .

”He has been picked up before on his way to church in town, but he was let out at the roundabout and we thought he was in church, but he was nowhere there. So I went looking for him and found him walking in Wickham’s Cay,” Earl recalled.

He appealed to anyone who may have picked up someone along Pockwood Pond road around the time of his brother’s disappearance to come forward and assist the police with their investigation.

According to Earl, his brother would usually wander away from home for days, disappearing for as much as 10 days, two years ago.

He also recalled his brother being found at the bottom of his neighbour’s home before being taken to the West End Police Station.

About 40 members from the Sweet Redemptive Seventh Day Adventist Church had joined the search a few days back, delving through bushes and scouring surrounding buildings.

According to Earl, an off-duty policeman related to the family that he saw someone fitting the description of Bernard along the Pockwood Pond road, but because of poor visibility due to heavy rains and his unawareness of the situation at the time, the policeman could not connect the individual as a person of interest.

Earl said the family has been trying desperately to cater for the special needs of his brother, even his mother had quit a job to be at home. She later suffered a stroke and lost some of her mobility, Earl stated.

He also alluded that the family had made attempts to place Bernard at an institution in Road Town , but by the time the facility would end its sessions, no one was available to transport him back home.

Detective Penn said that the Police Canine Department intends to conduct further searches in the area.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen Bernard Forbes or know about his whereabouts are asked to contact the West End Police Station at 495-4222 or any of the Police stations within the Territory.

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