The families of a couple who went on vacation to the Dominican Republic and went missing are worried since two weeks has passed without any communication with them.
On March 23, Orlando Moore and his girlfriend, Portia Ravenelle flew to the Caribbean out of Newark Liberty International Airport for a romantic getaway in D.R. and were supposed to return on March 27th, NBC reports.
It’s now been weeks and their families are frantically worried about their disappearance. There’s been no cell phone communication and their car is still parked at the airport.
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Moore’s sister, Lashay Turner, said she has alerted the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic and subsequently filed a police report. Police did check the hotel in Samana where the couple stayed while in the Dominican Republic but found out they actually checked out. However, Moore and Ravenelle never made their flight back to the states.
“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 U.S. Department of State official said 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.”
The couple also rented a vehicle which is also missing, Turner said.
Family watched their excursion through social media and the last picture that was posted shows the couple happily riding horses.
“We’ve been calling DR and they said they didn’t make their flight,” Turner said. “We also spoke to someone in U.S. Customs and they said my brother did not make his flight back here.”
Turner says it isn’t like her brother to “just run off on a hiatus … he’s gonna let someone know where he is,” especially since he has a daughter, she said.
“I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going on,” she added. “I’m saddened, my family is saddened by this and we just want me brother to return safe and alive.”
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While authorities won’t speculate about what happened to the couple, their families have become increasingly concerned.
“When these things happen, you always think of the worst, but we are hoping for the best,” said Edith Walters, Moore’s grandmother, said.