Cumberland Bay Community mourns for drowned sailor

The close knit community which plies a trade servicing yachts at Cumberland Bay is in mourning over the death of Oldrich Mazurek{{more}}who along with two of his compatriots drowned at Trinity Falls on Tuesday.

Olda, as he was known at Cumberland, arrived on a chartered Catamaran from Martinique with eight passengers including his son Richard, 29, who is also a captain, late Monday afternoon.

Bennette ‘Beni’ Edwards of Beni Local Bar and Grill told SEARCHLIGHT that he usually plays host to Olda and his clients whenever they visit Cumberland and that he had held a party with steel pan music for him on Monday evening, after which the party moved to another bar owned by Elma Ashton 100 feet from him; this time with hifi music.

“Olda was a great friend and anytime he come, you could put your pot ‘pon fire, cause he always bring something for everyone on the Bay,” a distraught Beni said.

Sporting a baseball cap which was given to him by Olda on a previous visit, Beni said that he took the party to the Falls and was waiting for their return when the guide

who had gone with them returned and told him that three of the Czech nationals had drowned.

“It was like the worst thing you could ever hear,” Beni intoned. “Olda was a very good friend and I will miss him. My prayers go out to his family, especially his son Richard, who stayed back on the boat,” Edwards said.

Elma Ashton said that after the Monday night party

moved to her bar, she danced with Olda who was having a great time: “He even invited me to go to Carnival with him and I told him yes I would. In the morning when he was going to the Falls, I ask him if he is still going and he said ‘Yes, you know I always go. See you when I come back.’ I never knew that I will never see him again”, Elma said.

Another beach dweller said that Olda was like a Santa Claus; he brought presents for everyone.

Mazurek had been visiting Cumberland for the past 14 years, sailing from Martinique where he usually charters a boat; most often at Carnival time. He enjoyed making videos of Carnival and taking photographs to publish back in his homeland where he owns a publishing company. Beni also said that Olda usually makes ten to twelve trips to Cumberland per season and that his passing will affect everyone on the Bay.