Elder Swain and Elder Gray left their apartment in Trinitie, Martinique about 6:30 a.m. on Monday, December 3rd, and, after taking multiple public taxis and getting a lift form tourists, reached a snack shop at the base of Mont Pelee by 11:30 a.m.. The woman behind the counter remembered selling the elders a Bounty Bar and a bottle of water, but initially told the police she thought she saw them much later in the day.
When the elders made it to the top of Mont Pelee, they were disappointed because they did not see a crater so they asked some nearby hikers where they could find the volcano.
At about 1 p.m. and after hiking for a while, they started paying close attention to the time because they knew they had to be home to begin proselyting at 6:00 p.m. As they looked down the side of the volcano, they noted a good size town on the seashore and identified it as the village of Precheur. They felt that if they got to this town they could catch local transportation and make it back to their apartment across the island in time.
Elder Swain was particularly enthusiastic about the plan because the slope of the mountain reminded him of the rolling hills of England. He thought they would have no problem leaving the trail and heading straight down the mountainside to Precheur.
At first the descent seemed pleasant but walking became more difficult as they descended. After walking for an hour, they ran into a sheer drop that was impassable and had to turn back. They backtracked a little while and tried to make it down another way, only to reach another cliff. At this point the realized that help was needed so they knelt in prayer and gave one another blessings. They continued to seek a way down the mountain hiking through dense areas of vegetation with ferns up to their necks. They couldn’t see their feet and found themselves stumbling and falling over cracks and boulders. This process continued until near dark when they realized they had to stop for the night so they found at the base of a huge tree near the edge of a ravine. It was in the open so they could signal with their camera flash for help if anyone came to find them during the night.
The next day, Tuesday, the elders prayed for guidance and decided to hike towards a road they had identified on their map. Along the way they came upon a clearing that had evidence of people. It had discarded rum bottles and a large metal pot filled with brownish water. By this point they were very thirsty because they been unable to find water so Elder Swain tried filtering the water with part of his clothes and then with part of their map. They drank and began to look around for fruit. They were able to find a few orange trees and, to their surprise, laying against the mountain was an old discarded refrigerator that contained empty bottles, silverware, a half –filled bottle of flat coca cola, a bottle of rum and a jar of fruit soaking in rum. They drank some of the coke and used a bit of rum to clean their scrapes. They heard helicopters in the distance so they trampled down some ferns in the clearing to become more visible. Keeping track of their path, so they could return, the elders hiked further up the mountain in hopes of finding a way to some houses they had seen in the distance the night before. Along the way, they found an irrigation pipe that they disconnected and used to replenish their water supply. They considered leaving it disconnected but decided they didn’t want to cause problems for anyone’s water supply. They were not making progress towards the houses so they prayed to know what to do and decided to return to the clearing. Using their scout skills they created a soft place to sleep and enhanced their signal areas in the clearing by adding bits of metal and plastic bags they had found in the refrigerator.
They slept comfortably their second night on the mountain on a bed of ferns under the stars.
The following day, Wednesday, was spent on additional activities to attract attention of an overhead helicopter. They tried unsuccessfully to make a fire using Elder Gray’s glasses, a stick and bow creation, their camera batteries and a fork to generate sparks, and even some of the rum. They were unsuccessful. They organized a routine where one elder always stayed in the clearing to signal if a helicopter came and the other forayed into the forest to search, always staying in voice contact.
During one of those searches Elder Gray found another irrigation pipe and this time he disconnected it permanently, hoping someone would notice and come up the mountain to repair the pipe. They made a shelter for the night out of corrugated metal sheets and kept their spirits up by singing “Count Your Many Blessings,” Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel,” and “Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” to buoy up their spirits.
Thursday morning the elders woke up cold and hungry but at exactly 7:00 AM (Elder Swain checked his watch) they saw a helicopter in the distance. It was not flying towards them but they prayed and prayed for it to turn. It did and began to fly directly at them. They ran into the clearing, took off their shirts, and waved them in the air only to see the helicopter pass right over them and then fly away. Their disappointment was intense. After a while Elder Gray went off to find more metal to create signals. Elder Swain stayed in the clearing and said a prayer. After his prayer he looked up and saw a huge rainbow in the sky. He knew at that moment that they would be found. Elder Gray returned for a few moments with some leaves he thought might be useful for fire and then went back into the forest.
At about 8:30 AM he spotted two men who had come up from a farm below. They had just finished repairing the irrigation line and were ready to leave. He called to them and they recognized Elder Gray as one of the missing missionaries they had seen on the front page of their newspaper that morning. Elder Swain heard the shouting and at first thought his friend needed help. When he realized they had been found, he ran to the farmer, who was holding a cutlass and a shotgun, and gave him a big hug.
The men immediately called the police on a cell phone, who called Captain Lehaire, who just happened to be meeting with President and Sister Robison. Using a cutlass, the farmers cut through the brush and followed an overgrown path down the mountain to safety and to their welcoming party of elders, members and mission president couple who had been fasting, praying, and searching for them.
This search party consisted of two elders serving in French Guiana, Elders Jest and Garotta. These elders had been trainers to the two missing missionaries and had served in Martinique and know it well. They called the president when they knew their friends were missing and asked to fly to Martinique at their own expense to search. President Robison made arrangements for the mission to fly them out.
In addition, a group of missionaries came over from Guadeloupe: Elders Hooson, Bezzant, Hansen, and Doumbia, brought the van over on a ferry. Members also were critical participants in the search. President Gamiette, President Amousouga, President Mondong and Brother Bonbon flew from Guadeloupe to join in the search with the members of the Fort de France and Trinitie branches. President and Sister Robison flew in as early as they could on Tuesday to coordinate and direct the search efforts. They had frequent meetings with the members and briefings by the police and in turn briefed the Area Presidency every two hours.
Miracles occurred during throughout the three frightening days:
- The missing elders were able to find food and water. A funny side note to this is that a very professional and serious reporter interviewed the elders after their rescue and burst into giggles when she heard about the refrigerator full of rum and coke on the side of the mountain.
- There was almost no rain during the three days but it rained hard every day after the missionaries were rescued.
- Elder Gray just happened to be in the right place at the right time to see the men who came to repair the water pipe.
- President Robison asked the missionaries who were searching to pray every few minutes and let the spirit choose their direction. At the time of the rescue, in a 200 square foot island, the two cars full of missionaries were within a minutes of the exact place the elders were found. They were able to be at the base of the mountain waiting to hug their brothers as they were brought down.
- A group of young Special Forces trainees from France arrived three days before the elders were lost. They were training for mountain rescue so they were able to assist in the search and gain valuable experience.
- The missionaries from Guadeloupe were unable to get reservations to take the van on the ferry but at the last minute a spot opened up for them both coming and going.
- A young man, hiking in the same area five years before, disappeared and was never found.
Detailed Account
Sunday
Elder Swain has served in the West Indies for 15 months and was just transferred to Martinique 3 weeks earlier, after serving in French Guiana, St Martin, and Guadeloupe. Elder Gray is the junior companion who has served the entire six months of the West Indies portion of his mission (he had to serve in the states a few months waiting for a visa) in Martinique.
Sunday evening around 9:00 PM Elder Beck, one of the French South Zone leaders (serving in Fort de France), made his nightly call to Elders Swain and Gray (serving in Trinite). They discussed plans for the next day’s preparation day. The first choice was to go to Vauclin but Elder Beck had a contact he was working with to arrange a personalized tour and needed more time. Second choice was a visit to Mt Pelee – a 4582 foot volcano that erupted in 1903 killing 26,000 people.
Elder Beck declined to go on that outing because of back problems and he cautioned the Elders to be careful and about potential transportation difficulties getting to and from Mt Pelee.
Monday
Elder Swain and Gray, dressed in p-day clothes and their tags and armed with a camera and a map, left their apartment about 6:30 AM and went into town to catch a bus. It took a few hours for them to find transport but they eventually caught a bus towards Lorraine, an area on the east side of Mt Pelee. It took them a few more buses and a lift from some tourists to reach the parking area at the base of the mountain. By then it was around 11:30 so they went to the small restaurant just off the parking lot and bought water and a Bounty candy bar. This is where they were remembered by the woman behind the counter who turned out to be the only credible eyewitness the police interviewed.
The Elders started up the mountain trail and after an hour they were at the top. They took pictures of the stunning views across the island but couldn’t see the crater clearly. Elder Swain had hiked a volcano in Guadeloupe and remembered the impressive sight of steam rising from within the volcano. Other people were hiking nearby and Elder Swain asked them, “Where is the volcano?” The hikers indicated another trail so the Elders followed them.
At 12:30 or 1:00, after hiking for a while on that trail and aware of time constraints, they began thinking about returning home. In their minds was the memory of the challenges they had faced getting multiple buses and lifts to the mountain. They considered alternatives. As they looked down the mountain they could see a good sized town on the coast of the sea just below them. Checking their map, they identified the city as Precheur – a town near St Pierre – a good spot to catch a bus to Fort de France and from there back home to Trinite. There was what appeared to be a grassy meadow leading down to the town so they decided it would be more time efficient to walk down to the city rather then return the way they had come.
Both of them felt OK about going in that direction so they identified and noted the path to follow and then started down the mountain.
At first it was an easy and beautiful walk. The passed gorgeous vegetation and huge plants whose leaves were filled with water. They eventually followed a ravine down the mountain. After walking about an hour they came to the edge of a large cliff. It was very apparent they couldn’t go down safely and walls of the ravine on both sides were too sheer to climb, so they turned and walked back the way they had come until they found an area to climb out of the ravine to the north. They walked for a while on a ridge between ravines but the going was tough with tall ferns and rocks so they dropped down into the next ravine, continued down easily and thought they could get down the mountain, catch a taxi and make it home before 6:00 PM.
However, they reached another huge drop, this one worse than the first.
At this point they stopped to consider their situation. They realized that they were in trouble so the Elders gave each other blessings and rested for a while. Then they turned and walked back up the ravine and, when they found a safe spot, climbed out to the other side. Again they found ferns and boulders and rough going. They were getting very tired and found themselves tripping and falling on boulders they couldn’t see because of the thick and tall ferns.
At one point Elder Swain felt no ground under his feet. He grabbed the ferns and called for help from Elder Gray who was able to help him back to safe ground. They encouraged each other as they made their way through the along the ridge.
Eventually they were able to see houses in the distance. They pressed towards them only to find that the houses we on the other side of yet another deep ravine. They couldn’t possibly get to them. By then it was starting to get dark so they decided to go along the edge of the ravine looking for a place to stop for the night. They wanted to be near the edge of the ravine so they could signal help if it came. Elder Gray had his camera and the plan was to flash a signal at a helicopter if one came by during the night. They settled in by the roots of a huge tree. All they had was water. The candy bar had been eaten long ago. There were lots of prayers before sleep that night.
Tuesday
The rising sun woke the Elders. They began the day with prayer and by 6:00 they started walking. They decided to leave their spot and make their way up the mountain to try to intersect with a road they identified on the map. As they walked they came to a spot with discarded rum bottles and a big iron pot filled with brownish water. They were extremely thirsty so they focused on getting drinkable water out of the pot. Elder Swain tried to filter it using cloth and parts of his map.
After drinking, they went looking for fruit. As they searched they came across a surprise – a refrigerator just sitting on the mountainside. Inside were empty bottles, silverware, a half bottle of flat coca cola, a bottle of rum, and another jar filled with rum soaked with fruit. They drank some of the coke but left the rum and the rum soaked fruit alone except to clean their cuts and scrapes.
They found a little clearing nearby and trampled down some ferns in hopes of signaling a helicopter.
By midday they decided to explore up the ridge and see if they could find a way over to the houses they had seen the day before but because of many huge downed trees from the hurricane, they had to traverse back and forth through the forest. They eventually came upon a water pipe, unscrewed it, drank heartily, and filled their water bottle. They thought about leaving it undone but were worried about cutting off someone’s water supply. They prayed about what to do and decided to close the pipe and return to the clearing near the refrigerator.
The Elders knew a search was underway because they could hear helicopters in the distance so they decided to remain where they were for the rest of the day. They decided that one Elder would always stay in the clearing in case a helicopter flew and the other would search the surrounding area, always staying within voice contact. By doing this they found a some trees filled with oranges. Fruit had been impossible to find before then because of hurricane damage. They also collected wood and leaves as fuel for their unsuccessful attempts to make a fire. They also collected odds and ends to scatter around in the signal area of the clearing. That night they made a bed of ferns and slept comfortably under the stars.
Wednesday
The Elders again were up with the sun. They were blessed with no rain that night but they still felt a little cold. They decided the best thing was to stay put for at least another day and pray for rescue. Often during the long day the elders sqng hymns for comfort. They sang “Count your many blessings,” “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel,” and “Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.” This helped buoy their Spirits. They continued the previous day’s efforts to become visible by spreading plastic bags found in the refrigerator around the clearing. Elder Gray even found a small sheet of metal and tied it to a tree as a reflector. Most of the day they rested and worked on making a fire. They tried to ignite small sticks and paper shredded from a notebook using a number of methods: the sun and Elder Gray’s eyeglasses; a bow made out of a stick and rope to spin and create friction; and two batteries connected by a bent fork. They even tried igniting some of the rum. They made plenty of sparks but no fire.
They continued the previous day’s plan of searching one at a time while the other stayed in the clearing. On one of his journeys Elder Gray came across a pipe but he didn’t think it had water in it.
Later in the day he went back and followed it until he found a join. When he detached it he found plenty of clear water. This time he decided to leave the water pipe undone in hopes that someone would come and check it. As night approached they created a shelter out of sheets of corrugated metal found in the area. They were concerned about rain so they spent an uncomfortable night crowded into the shelter
Thursday
The Elders were up at sunrise again and at exactly 7:00 (Elder Swain checked his watch) they saw a helicopter in the distance. It was not flying towards them so they prayed and prayed for it to turn. It did! They were so excited! They took off their t-shirts and waved them over their heads but the helicopter flew right over them and just kept on going. They decided that maybe it was going for fuel or help, but the minutes ticked by and it eventually became clear that they hadn’t been spotted. So, Elder Gray headed back to the woods to find more metal to make a better signal area. He was distracted from his quest, at first, because he discovered some fuzzy leaves that looked promising for making fire. He brought them back to Elder Swain in the clearing to set lay them out to dry and then returned to his search. Meanwhile, Elder Swain was alone in the clearing. He felt discouraged as he considered to possibility of spending another day on the mountain. He started to pray out loud asking for peace. Just as he finished praying he saw a huge rainbow over the mountains. At that moment he knew they would be saved – sometime. Moments later he heard shouting.
At first he wondered if Elder Gray was hurt but then he heard a second voice and realized that someone had found them. During Elder Gray’s search for pieces of metal he came across two farmers who had just finished repairing the water line and were ready to leave. They called to one another and the men, who had seen a picture of the missing Elders on the front page of the paper that morning, realized they had found the lost missionaries. Elder Gray went and got Elder Swain who ran down and gave the surprised farmers a big hug. One of the farmers called the police who in turn called their captain who just happened to be meeting at that moment with President and Sister Robison.
It took the group about 30 minutes for the farmers (one of whom was about 70) and the Elders to walk down the mountain. The men knew their way along an old overgrown trail that traversed a number of ravines. At times they had to hack their way through vegetation with their cutlasses.
By the time the group arrived at the farm, the police were there waiting. They checked the Elders, put them in the police car, and drove them a few miles down the road where missionaries and members, who had been searching nearby, had gathered. The excited group welcomed the elders with tearful hugs. President and Sister Robison arrived with the Captain within thirty seconds and were also greeted with a big, long hug from each found missionary.
The Search
Monday
Elder Beck called President Robison Monday night when Elder Swain and Elder Gray failed to arrive home at the time they had all agreed to meet in Trinite.
Tuesday
By the next morning the Elders will still missing so President and Sister Robison consulted with President Johnson of the Caribbean Area Presidency who approved their flying to Martinique as soon as possible. They were able to find a flight within hours and arrive by early evening. Upon surveying the situation with the chief police inspector over the search, Captain LeHaire, the Robisons went and met with a very tearful branch of members.
President Robison consulted with the members and challenged them to follow the example taught in this mission by a visit by Elder Gene R. Cook visit where he talked of praying specifically for direction. The members prayed, ate together, and started a fast.
Areas were assigned and President Robison suggested they go to those spots the next day and pray for specific guidance. He organized the groups into 4 people per car and gave them each about 3 communities to visit. Groups were provided with flyers containing pictures of the Elders and numbers of the main branch contact at a member’s hotel (where the members met nightly). As part of the assignment, members were to visit and post flyers at sites such as market places, hospitals, taxi stands, and city halls.
Wednesday
The next morning, President Robison first met with Captain LeHaire and then consulted with President Johnson and Brother Alan Packer of the missionary department and decided to get in contact every two hours during the ordeal. Then upon receiving the consensus of Elder Johnson, President Robison had Elders Jest and Garotta, who were serving in French Guiana but both of whom had served at length in Martinique and had trained the missing Elders, fly in to join the search. Earlier in the day they had called and asked to fly out at their own expense (which they did not have to do). It would be this team that would go to the elder’s apartment, check their planners, area book, identify which clothing was missing and talk to people near their apartment. President Robison also assembled a team of four elders from Guadeloupe (Elders Bezzant, Hooson, Doumbia, and Hansen) to bring their van over on a 4 hour ferry and join the search. These elders got the last standby position on the ferry which was a miracle in itself. They arrived in the early afternoon and were able to meet President and Sister Robison at the first refuge, near the base of Mont Pelee for a preliminary search. Both the Elders and President Robison had a feeling that they were in the right area on the island and that things would work out. The Guadeloupe elders were also joined by four Guadeloupe members who flew to Martinique: President Gamiette, the District President; President Amousouga, his counselor; President Mondong, the Cappesterre Branch President; and his counselor Brother Bonbon. It was President Amosouga’s meeting with the newspaper, France-Antilles, that resulted in a major front page picture and article.
Again that night the reinforcement elders from French Guiana and Guadeloupe in conjunction with the members met at the member’s hotel to report the findings and impressions of the day and lay out the search plans for the next morning. No solid leads surfaced but everyone felt hopeful that they would find success the next day.
Thursday
The following morning President and Sister Robison met first with Captaine LeHaire to report the findings of the previous day. Captain LeHaire gave them a copy of the morning newspaper which had a photo of the missing elders on the front page. About 8h30 a.m. while conducting their briefing, Captain LeHaire received a phone call that two farmers had found the missing elders and were escorting them down the hill. Interestingly enough, all of the elders who were searching had felt to search on the side of the mountain where the elders where found, so when the news came, they were within minutes of assembling and were there to welcome them. Captain LeHaire and his partner drove the Robison in the police car, complete with siren and lights, to the base of the mountain.
The Reunion
During the trip to meet with the Elders, President and Sister Robison gave the news to Elder Johnson, who relayed it on to Church Headquarters. Meanwhile a returned missionary was in contact with one of the members in Martinque who gave him the good news, so he took it upon himself to release the news to the media before the Church did.
Upon arrival at the base of the volcano, President and Sister Robison were able to hug their missionary sons within 30 seconds of their arrival off the mountain. They then accompanied the elders to the police station, where they were checked for dehydration and given some bananas. They were able to thank the searchers at the police station as well as speak to the television reporters. President Robison was then in a position at that time to give a brief summary of the ordeal to President Johnson prior to a meeting that Elder Bednar was to have with the Quorum of the Twelve. President Robison then briefed Brother Tuttle of Public Affairs in time for him to quickly prepare a statement for the media.
Following the meeting at the police station, the elders went to the hotel managed by a member, where they showered and had pizza (their request) and there they were able to properly thank the members. Prior to eating, President Robison privately gathered all the elders with the two recovered elders and read them a scripture: D&C 123:17 and then led them in a kneeling prayer of gratitude.
Later that day President Robison was invited to meet with Colonel Bourges, who directs the activities of the entire police force of Martinque, and express his appreciation as well as discuss lessons learned.
Then he rushed to a meeting at the hotel with a reporter from France-Antilles. The reporter wanted to interview the two elders and take their photo for the newspaper. Gathered at the hotel were a dozen members, just wanting to celebrate. During the very serious interview, the reporter began to giggle when the elders told her they had run across a stocked refrigerator out in the middle of the dense vegetation.
After the reporter took a photo, the members gathered around the elders in the hotel lobby and as if Christmas caroling, sang “Armies of Helaman” to them. Then the sisters clustered around the two recovered elders, and as mothers would do, checked and soothed the scratches on their arms.
Later that evening, the members and missionaries gathered for a fireside/testimony meeting. The fireside included a preview of Sister Robison’s slide show that highlighted the activities of the West Indies Mission. Both of the recovered elders shared their testimonies as well as several of the members and missionaries. The meeting was concluded with everyone standing to sing “Called to Serve”. Elder Swain gave the closing prayer.
Lessons Learned
1. Perhaps some future elder’s life will be saved because of the high profile nature of this experience. Elders will stay on paths. Elders will never go on excursions without four elders. Elders will always have cell phones on their outings.
2. The hurricane did not get the attention of the people of Martinique. Neither did the earthquake. But the high profile nature of this experience will lead families to discover the gospel.
3. Member and missionary testimonies were strengthened. Teamwork prevailed and brought the group together as a family.
4. It is very important that young men have ample scouting training prior to coming on a mission. These elders were well prepared for their misadventure.
5. The power of prayer and fasting is very real.
6. It takes a united effort between missionaries, members, and our Heavenly Father to save people both physically and spiritually.
CHURCH NEWS - Dec 6, 2007
Missionaries Found Unharmed in Martinique
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/missionaries-found-unharmed-in-martinique
Two Mormon missionaries missing since Monday on the Island of Martinique have been found unharmed.
The two missionaries, Elder Thomas Levi Swain, from Hamilton, New Zealand, and Elder Tyson Delmar Gray from Taylorsville, Utah were reported missing on Monday night following an excursion on their day off.
Elder Swain has served on his mission for 18 months, and Elder Gray has been serving for six months.
The island of Martinique is part of the West Indies Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of 348 missions with over 53,000 full-time missionaries throughout the world.
The missionaries had been hiking Mount Pelee on Monday afternoon and became disoriented and trapped in the dense foliage and difficult terrain. They were found by a local farmer Thursday morning at about 8:30 a.m. local time.
Both missionaries are doing well and intend to continue their missions on the island.
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