The families of three of the people missing since Hurricane Fabian lashed the Island were coming to terms with the fact they may never get closure last night after the official search and recovery mission was called off.

Only the body of P.c. Stephen Symons has been found since the four were swept off the Causeway as the hurricane force winds whipped up almost three weeks ago on September 5.

For 19 days, members of Bermuda Police's marine section have worked with other agencies in searching huge areas of the water around the Island, and have found little. And at noon on Tuesday, it was decided that the search be called off with only one of the victims accounted for.

The families of P.c. Nicole O'Connor, Police station duty officer Gladys Saunders and civilian Manuel Pacheco may never recover their loved ones bodies, although, they are continuing their own personal searches.

Police Commissioner Jonathan Smith said: “After considering all of the available evidence, and after consultation with the Rescue Co-ordination Centre, the Bermuda Police Service has officially concluded the search and recovery mission.

“We have remained in close contact with the families and we acknowledge that this continues to be an extremely difficult time for them.

“Our search efforts have been considerable and thorough and have pushed our staff to their physical limitations and I remain immensely proud of the professionalism the teams have displayed.”

Yesterday, the distraught mother of 27-year-old new Police recruit P.c. O'Connor, who was married and three months pregnant, said she did not wish to comment on the fact that the search was officially being called off, but she said her personal search would never stop.

“We don't feel we have closure,” said Franzine Burgess. “I still go down there to the water and look whenever I can and I sometimes stay out until dark. That's my child and I will still do that. I prefer to be by the water, rather than at home, and I will continue to look for her, maybe not always physically, but in my head. And I will still hope - hope that she comes home.”

And the mother said no words could ever explain how she felt or describe what the family had been through. “No words will ever bring my daughter back,” she said.

And Lisa Dawson, who is a close friend of Mr. Pacheco's wife Monica, has spoken on behalf of the grieving widow and mother, who also lost her home in the hurricane.

Mrs. Dawson said: “She's disappointed they didn't find anything. She wanted closure to it and she can't have it.

“But the Police have done the best they can. You can only do so much - you can't go looking for ever. Monica is a very strong girl, but she breaks down sometimes. She is being strong for their child.”

However, Mrs. Dawson also said friends of stone mason Mr. Pacheco, 23, were also continuing to organise their own search parties for his body, refusing to give up hope, and said no memorial would be held just yet.

“His friends are still looking, and my husband is due to go out on a boat, as well,” she added. “There is one place they really want to check, so people will continue to go out and look.

“Right now, Monica has not made any plans for a memorial, so we are just going to wait and see what happens.”

The Police Commissioner said “valiant efforts” had been made to rescue the four missing people while the hurricane raged across the Island, but he said the severe weather hampered the mission.

And he said as soon as possible the following day, units were despatched to start the search again.

“Members of the Bermuda Police Service, Bermuda Fire Service, and Mr. Coolridge Butterfield, of Island Construction, all participated in various rescue efforts from both ends of the Causeway,” said Mr. Smith.

“Ultimately, those efforts were unsuccessful owing to the rapidly deteriorating and dangerous weather conditions; indeed, four of the firefighters were swept into the sea and had to abandon any further rescue attempts.

“At the height of the hurricane and as darkness fell, rescue efforts had to be suspended owing to the highly unsafe conditions.”