Disappearance at sea in Poudre-d'Or: the families of police officers Sunnasy and Moorghen cling to hope

It's almost a week that the families of police officers Vimal Sunnasy and Parkiyaven Moorghen, aged 32, have been living in anguish. The two friends, who work at the Piton detention center, disappeared at sea during a fishing trip, after their boat capsized at the St Géran Pass.

Everything is rushing through their heads. The confusion is mixed with doubt, anguish, fear. And hope, this terrible, terrible hope… Time seems to have stopped for the families of police officers Vimal Sunnasy and Parkiyaven Moorghen, both 32 years old. , since their disappearance at sea on May 27, during a fishing trip that went wrong. While the search remains unsuccessful to this day, these families brave this ordeal and the endless wait with courage, clinging to the hope of a miracle.

However, they are also faced with countless unanswered questions at the moment. Under what circumstances did the boat in which the two police officers were, with other colleagues, out at sea for a fishing trip, capsize at the St Géran Pass? Were there four or five? “We believe that there are gray areas,” says Darsanand Sunnasy, 61, Vimal Sunnasy’s father.

It's been almost a week since his son and his colleague at the Piton detention center have been missing. Two other friends, also police officers, Steeve Fortuno, 34, and Naseerudin Mudhoo, 39, were able to escape and were hospitalized (see box).

Elements of the coast guard, those of the Mauritius Police Intervention Group (GIPM), the commandos of the National Coast Guard (NCG) and other volunteers, close to the victims, are strongly mobilized to find them. The Sunnasy family wants to see more clearly what happened. “Initially we were informed there were five people, now the police say there are four people. They found the latter's four motorcycles and a car in Pointe-des-Lascars where they boarded. We ask the police to keep us informed,” says Darsanand Sunnasy.

In the meantime, the whole family is gathered around Vimal Sunnasy's parents. The return home of her sister, established in Australia, is imminent. The Sunnasy cling to hope. An exemplary son, Vimal Sunnasy is described as a discreet person. “He rarely goes out. He goes to work, then comes home,” says his father. His son, he says, gave himself body and soul to his work, entirely devoted to his profession.
After his secondary studies, the young man applied for a job within the police force. His application having been accepted, he passed the selection tests. He did all his training in the Coast Guard. However, after joining the police in 2015, he was transferred to the Rivière-du-Rempart police station.

“He requested his transfer on a few occasions. He wanted to be in the Coast Guard, but his next transfer was to Goodlands Police Station,” adds Darsanand Sunnasy. And about two years ago, he was transferred to the Piton detention center.

Vimal Sunnasy is also passionate about music and is part of a choir where he plays the guitar. “He is very religious and never fails to say his prayers,” adds his uncle Rajveer. “He wanted to one day, with his parents, travel abroad to see his sister in Australia and spend time together. It was close to his heart,” says Rajveer.

No one could have imagined such a tragedy. This Monday, May 27, police officer Vimal Sunnasy told his mother that he was going to sea with his friends after work around 4 p.m. “She made him some tea which he took with him. Since he was going there with colleagues, she had confidence that things would go well. She nevertheless told him to be very careful because of the weather,” relates his uncle.

He was supposed to be back around 10 p.m. But he didn't come back. His mother then tried to contact him, without success. He remained unreachable. It was only around 2 a.m. that police officers came to their door in Roches-Noires to tell them that there had been an accident at sea.

His father, who was then traveling in England, was alerted. He rushed back to Mauritius on Wednesday. Today, he can only wait and hope to see his son again safe and sound.

Never give up

The Moorghen family also refuses to give up hope. “I know my nephew very well. He is very strong. If there is one person who can get out of this situation, it is him,” says Parkiyaven Moorghen’s uncle Ramen, also called Vishalen. “He is like a son to me. I hope to see him again,” he said.

The loved ones refuse to give up in the face of this terrible twist of fate. They must, they make it clear, to honor the courage and determination of Vishalen. The police officer is described as someone who has unwavering strength of character and determination, who never lets himself be discouraged by adversity.

“He is a fighter, a determined person. If he has something in mind, he will do it,” says his cousin Varusha.

This Goodlands resident used to go to sea to fish with his colleagues and friends Fortuno and Mudhoo, unlike Vimal Sunnasy who was on his first experience. On Monday, the latter and Vishalen Moorghen had worked during the day and in the afternoon, they had decided to go to sea. Having lost his father to illness some time ago, police officer Moorghen lived with his mother . He left the house and informed his wife.

His uncle Vinaden, Ramen's brother, explains that it was only Tuesday morning that he heard the news. “A nephew called me to tell me that Vishalen had an accident at sea with some police friends. With my brother Ramen, we came directly to Poudre-d’Or to follow the research at sea,” he says.

“We follow the progress of the research every day. But so far nothing, not even their personal effects. Time is not on our side,” adds Ramen.

Survivors, police officers Fortuno and Mudhoo confide

“We looked death in the face…” Constables Steeve Fortuno and Naseerudin Mudhoo are the two survivors of this tragic sea trip. Admitted under observation to the SSRN hospital in Pamplemousses, they look back on what happened.

“There was a strong swell. We found ourselves in the water. I managed to save Moorghen and Sunnasy. I took turns putting them on the boat,” explains Constable Fortuno.

But another swell capsized the boat and they found themselves in the water again. “There were other violent waves and we were separated,” he adds. “I screamed and screamed, but no response. I had a torch to send signals, but nothing. I was alone in the water,” continues the constable.

He claims to have been in the water for at least three hours. “I swallowed a lot of sea water before fishermen came to my aid,” he said.

Constable Fortuno maintains that he tried to help his colleagues in the water. But he couldn't do anything against the waves that crashed over them. “I ended up letting the waves carry me away. I didn't know where I was going. I was praying for us…”

The police are waiting for the two constables to recover to return to this tragedy in detail.