Police Public Relations Officer Claude Weekes has said that bi-lateral relations between the French government and the Commonwealth of Dominica have resulted in the swift rescue of a 27-year-old French national who had been lost in the Grand Fond area last week.
Maxine Rouyrre, who got lost during a hike between Boiling Lake and the Fresh Water Lake in Laudat on Thursday, was discovered on Saturday morning in Grand Fond at about 10:30 by a helicopter sent from Guadeloupe.
Weekes,who spoke to Dominica News Online, said Rouyrre’s rescue was as a result of the special agreements between the two countries and not necessarily due to preferential treatment as he is a French citizen. He added that the French has helped in a number of rescue attempts involving locals lost at sea.
Rouyrre was released in the care and counsel of the French Consulate Pascal Tomascini. He is thankful to all those who aided in his rescue.
“We really thank not only the French government as they have always been consistently helping when our nationals would have been lost at sea,” Weekes stated.
“It must not be taken that because it was a French national that’s why the French came, and he (the French Consulate Pascal Tomascini) alluded to the fact that whoever it is because of the bi-lateral agreement that the government of Dominica and the French Government have they are always willing to assist as they always do,” the PRO said.
Rouyrre, after spending three nights in the forest in the face of inclement weather, appeared to be doing fine, Weekes reported, adding that Rouyrre first seemed disoriented.
Maxime arrived on the island on November 13 and is scheduled to leave on the 26.
He began his trek on Novemnber 17, Weekes said.
He was discovered somewhere between Morne Jaune and Grand Fond, the PRO stated.
@Truth, Justice, Love, Peace and Unity: i read and understood all what you wrote,,,,but by my likes n ur dislikes u would see that most people agreed to what i said,,,can’t u handle a lil sarcasm gosh!!!!!
@….um…..:
These things have their people. There are all types of people in the world, from all walks of life, socio-economical and educational background in the world, no exception Dominica. Therefore, I do not expect you to get it. Give this a thought.
@mouth of the south:
Learn to speak and write English and how to communicate and respectfully so then you will understand.
@POSITIVE WOMAN: n my friend i going n make ur night eh,,,so if u have facebook look a link to the funniest kungfu u might see in a long while,,,
http://www.facebook.com/#!/video/video.php?v=174304252728&comments
i going n give u a taste,,it in creole so enjoy!!!!!!
@POSITIVE WOMAN: i forgive u my dear,,,,,u seem to be a 90’s baby since u don’t know what a kungfu ‘fox’ is,,,,,well a kungfu don’t have taste or action without the ‘fox’,,,,,,so get some ol school kungfu n watch then u’ll know wat i talking bout,,,,ask ur older uncles if they never went to soufriere n scotts head back in the ol days to watch kungfu then u’ll know wat i talking bout wwwyyyyyaaaahhhhh hyyyyccctttthhhh
@mouth of the south: pardna u ever heard about Dominicanewsonline forum? (is cakafete still around?) Go there and express yourself na..
you taking DNO comment spot as if is your forum for you to express….you country bookie eh.
@POSITIVE WOMAN: is a joke de man was making how u uptight so na, de man not saying he looking like fox de animal, where u from na u doh know what is a kungfu fox? go and do ur research. mouth of the south just saying he look like a ninja. he looking like dat for true! haha that was funny MOTS!!
@Truth, Justice, Love, Peace and Unity: where dat coming in?? sorry, i dont get it.
@Truth, Justice, Love, Peace and Unity: u is little red riding hood man u giving dat long story,,,,,,wat bus u take n d tracks wasn’t workin so u take another one,,,,awas man jus get to the point nah n allu want to give liz trouble when she writing!!!!! lol
@123: AND A DAMMMM GOOD ONE
Great he came out alive and kicking. Three days in the hills… He can now go back to France
and write his book. “Lost in the heights of Dominica”
More exposure to The Nature Isle … other tourist would like to
try that experience!
@The Third Side: Inspector Claude Weekes is the BEST.
May our Heavenly Father continue to bless and guide him ! !
Good job everybody
Be positive and stop occupying the space wioth your foolishness. think positive for yourself to be a better person.
God love all of us. He see us all as his children. None do not look like fox but the the aniaml fox itself.
Stop calling people name you don’t know hat they are saying about you.
pray, care for others and express love to those you meet and life will be sweet.
God Bless you.
@REbs: REBS. Did you hear yourself asking the question, WHY WAS the gentleman ALLOWED to go on such a hike without a guide? Could you have sotpped him? The man came to Dominica to conquer our forests, but instead he was conquered in grand style and learnt the hard way, that you dont just arrive in a foreign land and attempt such challenges on your own. You may wish to retract that piece and resubmit.
I am unable to comprehend that there should be any discussion and argument pro and con that the man did or did not receive preferential treatment because he was a French national.
I thought that he was smart to walk along the path of the river and that he utilized his cellular.
His wife alerted those agencies about her husband’s plight. Dominica at that time did not have the means of rescuing him (no criticism here) and soon enough.
For compassionate reasons any country who is able to assist another country and/or national whether they are in that country or other must assist. This is where we put aside our differences and come together as one.
Some years ago Toronto had a terrible snow storm – snow upon snow. Thank God some of us had electricity. Some subway sections at the main point of origin were inoperable. The tracks were frozen. Toronto experienced a heavy snow storm that it never experienced previously and therefore was ill-equipped to clean-up and quickly so that amount of snow.
Many people who resided in certain areas were unable to go to work for some days. Some people tried to walk to get a bus and/or to the subway knowing that if they did not make that effort they would not get paid. You know, in this era of part-time/temporary hourly pay.
Toronto is in central Canada. It got help from a smaller Province, New Brunswick which is situated all the way in eastern Canada. The eastern provinces as New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Halifax usually have a lot of snow and some very bad weather even in summer as hurricanes. Therefore, they have the snow removal equipment to assist.
For weeks the snow was on the streets. Toronto was incapable of clearing it up and quickly so. What a mess and hazard too. Since then the City learned a lesson and now, hopefully, has proper equipment.
I can inform you of this experience and that it was no easy time for employers and employees including those who had medical appointments, etc.
I once resided in Montreal and so I was accustomed to heavy snow storms and sleet. I do not complain about snowfalls. I make the most of it. There are times I love walking in the snow and during a snow fall just as long as it is not extremely windy. I hate those high winds.
In order to get to work for 9:00 am, I got up early, got ready and left about 5:00 am. I had a habit of going to church downtown for the 8:00 am Holy Mass prior to going to work and so I left at that time knowing that it would take me a few hours.
I waited for a bus and took it to the subway. The subway tracks were not yet repaired. I had to take a bus to another location, a few subways away to another subway station. The buses were crowded to over-full. From thereon I went to a subway transfer point, took another subway train which would take me to work.
For approximately two weeks if not more, it was not an easy time for commuters, those who drove and those who took the buses and trains. Patience had to be exercised. We survived.
The situation was so bad that Toronto also received help in the form of equipment from Buffalo, New York. Buffalo is a few hours drive away from Toronto. New Brunswick is much further.
I state this to inform you that all provinces, countries/nations do come to the aid of others as also when disasters as earthquakes and hurricanes strike. This is where we see the mercy of God and the love of neighbors. Our neighbors can reside far away.
We are each other’s keepers and we are here to help others specifically in the time of need. We are not to state that this person is not a national and because of a specific nationality we are helping that person or not. It is futile talk and statement. We are obligated to help with no question and no hesitation. This is the Law and Way of God and His expectations of us. Period!
As I previously stated I am happy that this man was rescued. I hope he can write his memoirs and also if he returns to Dominica, come with his wife and return to see, also the lakes with a guide. They are worth seeing. We must always be positive and keep positive.
Sweet Dominica the land of beauty…
God bless all.
@REbs:
It appeared that he took it upon himself to go without a guide. He should be asked about that. He would have the answer.
@The Third Side:He’s the Police Public Relations Officer!
one ting mr weekes looking like them ‘fox’ in those kung fu movies eh,,,,,he jus need to grow some beard wiyyyyaaaaaahhhhh hytchaaaaa
Congratulations to the rescue teams, my concern is why was he allowed to go on such a hike without a guide, this should be mandetory in Dominica. any person especially a foriegn person going on such hikes should be accompained by a certified guide. If we are going to promote DA as a tourist destination we do things more profesionally.
Who is Weekes????
Like THE. of course the ppl responded quickly because its their citizen. yes they may assst Dominca because of the bi lateral agreement but plz they came because its their own. the US does the very same thing. whats the purpose of this back and forth nah weekes.. what is the point… NEXTTTTTT