The jet ski used by the two minors on Saturday/Sunday.
PHILIPSBURG--The Police Force, Coast Guard, Sea Rescue and French-side Gendarmes combined forces and searched for two minors who went missing after a party on Saturday evening.
According to police, French-side Gendarmes received a call at 3:00am Sunday about two minors who had not returned home. Later it was discovered that the minors had taken a jet ski on the French side and had gone joyriding in the lagoon. The Gendarmes started a search in the lagoon, but did not find the minors or the jet ski.
The search was upscaled and the Dutch-side Police Force, Coast Guard and Sea Rescue joined in the search. The Gendarmes also requested the assistance of a helicopter search team from Guadeloupe. Later during the morning hours, combined forces found the two bodies of the minors in the lagoon in French St. Martin and the damaged jet ski was found in the water near the Dutch side. The jet ski was transported to the Coast Guard substation for further investigation.
“At this moment the identity of the minors will not be released. The investigation is ongoing. Where and what the cause was of the death of the victims has not been determined as yet. The St. Maarten Police Force extends their deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased minors in this unfortunate incident,” stated police on Sunday.
