Routine Sunday visit to beach turns tragic for Prospect quartet

What was supposed to be a routine visit to the beach turned tragic on Sunday when four persons from a close-knit area of Prospect drowned.

Up to press time, only three of the bodies had been recovered from the waters of Sand Bay, Prospect, a picturesque beach with strong undertows and unpredictable currents that have in the past claimed lives.

Two divers head out to sea in search of the bodies of those who
unfortunately lost their lives in the waters at Sand Bay, Prospect.

Reports are that on Sunday around 5 p.m., 29-year-old Darwin “Curtly” Daniel took Jonathan Welcome, 13, Jevorn Jr. Phillips, 10, and Isaiah Shallow, 11, along with two other youngsters to the beach. Daniel is said to have been accompanied by his girlfriend and a male companion Mikey Mack.

Information about what happened is sketchy, but persons claim that Daniel, who would have turned 30 on June 23, somehow lost sight of the youngsters and they were swept out to sea. One of the boys was pulled from the raging water by Daniel’s girlfriend.

Police officerS remove coconut branches to examine the body of Isaiah
Shallow, who lost his life in the sea at Sand Bay, Prospect on Sunday.

Margarita Mapp, Isaiah’s mother said someone told her that her son was on a rock and he was washed away. Mapp, who resides in Barbados said Isaiah grew up with his father and she had wanted him to live with her, but her father did not support the idea.

“I never got the opportunity to play the role I wanted to in his life. I spoke to him last year and he knew I wanted to be in his life. He could have been here with me,” said Mapp while weeping uncontrollably.

Tshani “Blondie Bird” Grant, a relative of Daniel’s, was one of the persons instrumental in recovering two of the bodies from the raging waters. Grant said that he is familiar with the beach and he and other villagers began searching for the boys around 5 am Monday morning.

“The coastguard come with we, but they left, but we didn’t give up and we end up find two bodies,” said Grant.

Tshani “Blondie Bird” Grant (left), a relative of Daniel Grant, consoles Olari Phillips, Daniel’s brother and Jovern’s uncle.

He said the community chipped in and rented diving tanks and other gear and they braved the rough waters looking for the bodies. Grant said that their wish is to find the boy who is still missing, as around 2 pm, Isaiah washed ashore, leaving Jevorn, the youngest victim of the tides missing.

“The community we come form is a loving community and we trying we best and if we could find him we will be good,” said Grant crying. He said that about five years ago, about three persons died at the beach and the authorities put up a sign that has since fallen over.

“When we come here, is not always rough. We give God praise and thanks we get the bodies and we can have a burial, but I think the Coast Guard could have assisted better. We were disappointed with the Coast Guard,” said Grant.

Olari Phillips, Daniel’s brother and Jevorn’s uncle told SEARCHLIGHT that usually, when they come to bathe at Sand Bay and they bring children, they keep a very close eye on them because they know the treachery of the waters.

“When he bring them yesterday (Sunday), I don’t know what happen,” said Phillips who also took part in the search.

Tanisha Phillips, Jevorn’s cousin said she normally takes the children to this beach and if they want to go into the water, the adults would form a circle around them and be very vigilant with them. She said they do not go to the side of the beach called Breakers, as it appears to her to be deadlier.

The broken DANGER sign at the beach at Ssand Bay, Prospect.

“I not sure what happened. It is very bad, but all we have to do is have faith,” said Tanisha who added that she was told by one of the youngsters who was with the boys who died, but did not go into the water, that the sea swept away the other boys and Daniel tried, but failed to save them.

David Cupid, Jonathan’s father said that his son was a student of the Carapan Secondary School. The labourer said that he felt “very sad” about what happened to his son.

“I spoke to him yesterday after 4 [pm] and I tell him to cook and the guy who bring him say leave him alone. All ah we is neighbours, all ah we come like one family. He was a good boy but sometimes he leaves and go beach and we don’t know and I tell him one day I might hear he drown and it happen,” said Cupid.

Yesterday, Coast Guard officers at the scene said they will continue the search for the missing body buy they are not sure for how long.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves who visited the scene yesterday expressed his condolences to the families.

Last Sunday’s drowning came one day shy of the June 4, 2017 disappearance of Midnight Shadow, a small pirogue that was travelling from Mustique to Canouan. Still missing from that incident are husband and wife Ned and Charmaine Dasouza, Montgomery Hazel, 56 years old of Chauncey (Captain), Claudia Williams, 43 years old of Park Hill, Sharon Simmons, 43 years old of Richland Park, and Josianne John of Murray’s Village.

The police are reminding persons that the hurricane season commenced last Friday June 1, 2018 and they therefore should be extra careful and take the necessary precautions when visiting our beaches.