New York Couple Disappears During Romantic Vacation in the Caribbean: Report

A police car in a file photo. Pixabay

A New York couple has been reported missing after they suddenly disappeared during a romantic getaway in the Caribbean and have not been heard from for nearly two weeks, according to reports.

Orlando Moore, 43, and his girlfriend, Portia Ravenelle, 32, were supposed to return to New York on March 27, after a 4-day vacation in the Dominican Republic, reported NBC4.

But their families have been unable to reach them for more than 13 days. Their phones are off, their car still parked at the airport, and officials say there are no records of them returning to the United States.

Authorities said the couple checked out of their hotel in Samana but vanished en route to the airport. Moore’s sister, Lashay Turner, told NBC4 that she has contacted the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic and also filed a police report.

“We’ve been calling DR and they said they didn’t make their flight,” Turner told the news station. “We also spoke to someone in U.S. Customs and they said my brother did not make his flight back here.”

Turner said that the pair had a rental car in the Dominican Republic and the vehicle is also missing.

The U.S. State Department told the news station that they were working with local authorities to search for the couple.

“When a U.S. citizen is missing, we work closely with local authorities as they carry out their search efforts and share information with families however we can,” a department official told the news station in a statement.

“The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State. We stand ready to provide appropriate assistance to U.S. citizens in need and to their families,” they added.

Turner said her brother is not the type of person who would “just run off on a hiatus,” adding that he has a daughter. She said, “he’s gonna let someone know where he is.”

Other family members and friends are using social media to raise awareness about their disappearance.

US Tourist Abducted in Uganda

This follows reports that another American tourist, Kim Sue Endicott from California, and her guide were abducted in Uganda on April 2. Endicott and her guide, Congolese national Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo, were abducted at gunpoint inside Queen Elizabeth National Park and a ransom of $500,000 was demanded, according to reports.

The pair were subsequently found alive in Congo on April 7, reported ABC News. It is not clear how much of the ransom was paid to the kidnappers.

U.S. officials told Fox News that military drones were used to assist the Ugandan security forces in the recovery of Endicott and Ramezo.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also issued a comment about the family, saying the United States has a policy of not paying ransom to secure the release of American citizens.

“Please remember that any payment to a terrorist or a terrorist regime gives money so that they can seize more of our people,” Pompeo said. “Even a small payment to a group in, say, Africa can facilitate the killing or seizure of tens or even hundreds of others, including Americans or foreign nationals in that region,” reported The Associated Press.

After Endicott’s release, President Donald Trump urged Ugandan officials to find the people responsible for the kidnapping.

“Uganda must find the kidnappers of the American Tourist and guide before people will feel safe in going there. Bring them to justice openly and quickly!” Trump tweeted on April 8.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s popular safari destination and is located near the border with Congo.