After two years, the tragic journey of African migrant Alassane Sow finally came to an end at a cemetery in Central Trinidad, almost 4,000 miles away from his home in Mali.
On the night of January, 13, 2021, Sow and at least 13 other migrants boarded a boat which left a port in the Mauritanian city of Nouadhibou, northwestern Africa bound for a port in Europe.
The journey, however, sadly led to their deaths when they drifted off course and were lost at sea.
Prevailing winds and ocean currents took the ill-fated migrants to the Caribbean, about 4,000 miles away from where their vessel set off.
It is believed they died of dehydration and hypothermia as a result of being lost at sea.
The boat was first sighted by fishermen off the coast of Belle Garden, Tobago, who made the gruesome discovery of the men's remains which at the time were little more than skeletons.
For months the origin of the boat and the identities of the people aboard were a mystery.
Earlier this year, DNA tests revealed that one of the passengers was Alassane Sow.
The tests were done as part of an investigation initiated by the Associated Press (AP) which traced the origin of the boat and the men on board.
While issues of migration are not new to TT, this is believed to be the first time migrants from as far away as Africa drifted to the Caribbean entirely by chance.
Speaking with Newsday via WhatsApp last week, Sow's aunt, Mayemouna Sow, who lives in France, reflected on the peculiar circumstances of his disappearance and death which took him on a journey halfway across the world.
She says while the family has been pained by Sow's disappearance and death, they will always cherish his memory.
She added they were grateful to local authorities and the funeral agency that performed his last rites.
"We were able to honour him through this dignified burial and this report, we will not forget him.
"We will come sooner or later to Trinidad."
Sow said while her nephew had no children, he was married for about five years and worked as a building caretaker in Mauritania for a few years, returning home once or twice a year to visit his family.
She said like the rest of the family, Sow's widow has also dealt with the grief of his death but was grateful for closure.
"She has mourned, she is also a believer and her faith in God helps her to overcome this painful ordeal."
Sow's family are devout Muslims.
Mayemouna said she remembered her nephew as an easygoing, simple man who loved his relatives.
She said he intended to meet his father in Spain.
[caption id="attachment_1013551" align="alignnone" width="753"] Associated Press (AP) journalist Renata Brito, left and Mayemouna Sow the aunt of Malian migrant Alassane Sow.Brito was part of an in-depth investigation that traced the origins of the remains found in the boat and conducted DNA tests to confirm their identities.RECOPY -[/caption]
Recalling her last conversation with him in December 2020, Mayemouna said she was worried about the dangers of him travelling by boat to
