I saw everything – accident survivor

The mother of one of Monday’s bus crash survivors has said that her son has been traumatized by what he experienced when the bus he was travelling in plunged into the sea off Rock Gutter.{{more}}

Wendy Michael, the mother of 14-year-old Maxroy Michael, also known as Danny Michael, said that her son told her of his experience after his release from the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital later the same day.

“He said to me ‘mommy I see everything,’” the mother told SEARCHLIGHT, during a visit to Fancy on Wednesday, after explaining that she preferred her son not repeat the ordeal.

“He said that as the van approached the hill, they were in the middle of the hill when the van take up speed, and all the children began to scream, but he did not panic.

“He said the driver was trying to turn the corner, but the vehicle hit something, and from the time it hit, it fling in the air and he thought it was a dream until water start hitting him, and he realize it was real.”

Michael said that her son told her he then swam out of the van, and assisted in getting others out of the doomed vehicle and the raging waves.

“He say he know for sure he pulled his cousin Candiana and carry she on a rock, and then he pull out many more, but he can’t remember who and how much, but he say it was just three of them, but a lot of them saying it is because of him why they are here today.

“He said he saw his cousin Glendon and Simonique and Orlando in the water…. He said:

‘I know Glendon can’t swim and I was going to help him, but a swell come and separate us, and when the swell go I did not see them, but I saw Orlando, so Orlando swim until he was rescued.’”

Danny’s mother also said that her son also saw Chanstacia on the top of the van, and she was calling for help, but before the driver could help her, she was pulled away by another wave.

He said he also saw Jamal Edwards, half his body in the battered vehicle and half in the sea, calling for help.

“And he said ‘mommy, I was going to help him and a swell came and took him and I didn’t see him again. And when I reach directly to the vehicle I saw Blacka (Jamalie Edwards).’

“Jamalie was his best friend and he say ‘Jamalie was dead; because I know he could swim, but he was already face down in the water.’

“And he said ‘when I reach to the vehicle, Anique was between the van and a stone and she was squeezed and I saw blood,’ and he looked up and he saw another colleague and then he say ‘boy we can’t do anything else, we have to go home and get help and he say they pulled themselves out of the water and they come and he don’t know how, but he reach home and he tell me the vehicle overturned and from the time he saw me he said ‘Blacka is dead.’”

Michael said that her son and his friend trekked the approximately two-mile journey in remarkable time, to break the dreadful news to the rest of the village.

The protective mother said that the ordeal was a heartbreaking and painful one for her son and the others who directly experienced the tragedy.

“ I don’t want him to relive the memories. They need help and I hope they get the counselling and protection that they need.

“I am trying to be strong for them.”(JJ)