RSSMissing Man Gregory van der Biezen Drown in Aruba; However His Body was Found
A 35 year old man, Gregory van der Biezen, went missing in Aruba after he went body 
boarding with his son near Boca Grandi after hurricane Felix passed over the island. After initial search efforts failed, authorities resumed the next day and the police found the body of the man in the water. Boca Grandi is located near the island’s eastern tip.
The unfortunate drowning of this man does once again bring up an obvious point that seems to be lost or conveniently avoided by so many when discussing the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba. If one simply just drowned in the ocean, they would have been found. She would have either washed ashore or would have been found in the water. Gregory van der Biezen’s body was found even with the rough seas and undercurrents following Hurricane Felix. Why would the rules of nature be so different for an American teenage tourist as opposed to a 35 year old Dutch nurse in Aruba if as so many have claimed Natalee simply drowned? The fact of the matter is, this is what would have occured if someone had simply just drown.
Amigoe, Sept. 4, 2007: Missing man drowned: Rescue workers searching for the missing Gregory van der Biezenoccurred.
ORANJESTAD – The 35-year old man that was missing since Sunday after he went body boarding with his son near Boca Grandi has drowned. The body of Gregory van der Biezen was found on the beach near Grapefield yesterday morning.
Posted September 5, 2007 by Scared Monkeys Aruba, Deceased, Hurricane, Missing Persons, Natalee Holloway, Travel | 118 comments |
Hurricane Felix Takes Aim at Aruba … One Happy Island Supposedly Out of the Hurricane Belt, Not Any More
Hurricane Felix is gathering strength in the Caribbean. Hurricane Felix has become a category two hurricane and is taking direct aim at Aruba. Aruba, the Caribbean island that is touted as being out of the hurricane belt can no longer state that claim.
(Click on the picture for color infrared loop)
Tropical Storm Felix (Hurricane) Strengthens in Caribbean … I thought Aruba Did not Experience Bad Weather on “One Happy Island”
UPDATE I: From the Aruban Forums
-
Reports of floods are coming in from the village of Catashi and Seroe Patrishi.
-
Haystack Hill and Aruba’s tallest hill Arikok are not visible from a distance.
-
Unconfirmed reports of downed palm trees at westpunt near Malmok.
-
A few downed kwihi and divi trees reported on streets.
-
Visibility poor riding on Sasaki highway near Palm Beach/Eagle Beach.
-
Surf is battering Tamarijn hotel entering ground level hotel rooms, according to radio report.
-
Power outage reported in Palm Beach, Tarabana and Alto Vista.
Some hotels may have generators. -
Very strong wind gusts all over the island.
-
Bubali sanctuary spilling over, too much water.
UPDATE II: Hurricane Felix now a category 3
UPDATE III: VIDEO, Flooding in Aruba
UPDATE IV: Felix Becomes Category 5 Hurricane
ORANJESTAD, Aruba – Felix rapidly strengthened into a dangerous Category 5 hurricane and churned through the Caribbean Sea on a path toward Central America, where forecasters said it could make landfall as a “potentially catastrophic” storm.
On Sunday, Felix toppled trees and flooded some homes on the Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in the southern Caribbean. Heavy rains and winds caused scattered power outages and forced thousands of tourists to take refuge in hotels, but residents expressed relief it did far less damage than feared as the storm’s outer bands grazed the tiny islands.
UPDATE V: Category 5 Hurricane Felix slams ashore at Nicaragua-Honduras border
Tropical Storm Felix (Hurricane) Strengthens in Caribbean … I thought Aruba Did not Experience Bad Weather on “One Happy Island”
Tropical Storm Felix forming in the Caribbean has become the sixth name storm of the 
2007 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm is tracking in the Caribbean near Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. So much for tropical storms and hurricanes not being a part of the weather patterns in Aruba. The AHATA may want to re-write the travel brochures.
In Aruba the newspapers almost never publish a weather report. They don’t need to. Around here, “sunny and warm” is not news. With an average rainfall of less than 20 inches a year, an average daytime temperature of 82° Fahrenheit (27° Celsius), a location completely outside the hurricane belt, and the constant cooling influence of the trade winds, Aruba is one of the most temperate islands in the Caribbean. And just as comfortable in July as it is in January.
It would appear that Aruba is not “completely” outside the hurricane belt as evidence by the weather warnings. So much for truth in advertizing.
Felix is expected to continue on this track over the next 24 hours, which would take away from the southern Windward Islands later this morning and near the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao late Saturday or early Sunday, the hurricane center said.
The government of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba has issued a tropical storm warning for the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area within the next 24 hours. A tropical storm watch remains in effect for the northern coast of Venezuela from Cumana to Pedernales including the island of Margarita. (CNN)
The island lies far outside the Hurricane Belt, so there is virtually no threat of tropical storms. Time to refresh the page.
NOAA:
Category 4 Hurricane Dean Takes Aim on Jamaica … Could Soon be Category 5
Hurricane Dean has already cause death and damage in its path in the Caribbean. Hurricane Dean, now a category 4, takes aim at Jamaica. Dean has already killed at least 3 people and now Hurricane Dean bears down on Jamaica. It is being predicted that when Hurricane Dean hits Jamaica it could be a category 5 with winds greater than 155 mph.
Dean was forecast to thrash Jamaica with 160 mph winds, or Category 5 intensity, up to 20 inches of rain, storm surge and large battering waves, with the onslaught beginning Sunday morning. The system, with hurricane-force winds extending 70 miles from its core, was to be directly over the small island nation by Sunday afternoon.
Also facing peril: the Cayman Islands, which are about 200 miles northwest of Jamaica and in Dean’s path. The storm was expected to rumble over those resort islands on Monday while retaining its brute force. (Sun Sentinel)
Dean, a Category 4 hurricane, ravaged Caribbean islands on Saturday and was expected to roll across the Yucatan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday. The Texas coast was a possible target, and some South Texas areas began taking precautions Saturday. (Washington Post)
Hurricane Dean Becomes First in the Atlantic, Heading toward the Caribbean
Look out Caribbean, the first hurricane of the season in the Atlantic is heading your way.
The first hurricane has formed in the Atlantic this season. Hurricane Dean is headed toward the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.
Hurricane DEAN Public Advisory - NOLA
Hurricane warnings were issued for the islands of Dominica and St. Lucia by their local governments. Hurricane watches were in effect for the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe and its dependencies, Saba and St. Eustaties.
